


The Truth of the Silver Millennium

by ladykikyo1792



Category: Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon | Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale
Genre: F/F, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-13
Updated: 2020-05-16
Packaged: 2021-03-03 04:14:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 12
Words: 66,038
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24168682
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ladykikyo1792/pseuds/ladykikyo1792
Summary: Long ago, Queen Serenity ruled the Moon Kingdom.  However, as Princess Kagome of the Sun Kingdom finds out, there might be someone- a demon -with a better claim to the throne. As Kagome stumbles closer and closer to the truth, dark secrets are revealed...
Relationships: Aino Minako/Kunzite, Higurashi Kagome/Sesshoumaru, Hino Rei/Jadeite, InuYasha/Kikyou (InuYasha), Kaiou Michiru/Tenoh Haruka, Kino Makoto/Nephrite, Mizuno Ami/Zoisite, Prince Endymion/Princess Serenity, Senshi/Shitennou
Comments: 4
Kudos: 11





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! Thank you for reading! Just as an aside, this story plays hard and fast with the original canons of both series. If you don't enjoy that, this might not be the story for you. All characters in "Sailor Moon" belong to the wonderful Naoko Takeuchi while all characters in "Inuyasha" belong to the equally wonderful Rumiko Takahashi. All OCs and the plot of this story belong to me. I'd love messages and comments! Please enjoy!

_A young boy ran frantically through the palace. A mob had gathered outside, and judging by the howls of pain he could hear from the guardsmen, it wouldn’t be long before they breached the palace walls. He skidded around a corner, completely ignoring the ornate tapestries and beautiful jewels inlaid in the palace walls. Though he normally loved to gaze at the tapestries and the pictures of his family, now he had no time._

_He could hear footsteps thudding behind him, and the unmistakable clank of swords. He could also sense magic in the air, powerful magic. Not as powerful as his father’s- but still powerful. And it was seeking him._

_“Where is he? Tell me where he is, demon scum!” a woman’s voice shrieked._

_“You’ll pay for this attack on the royal family-” the loyal guard’s defiant statement was abruptly cut off, and instead turned into a scream._

_The boy’s eyes widened. Trembling, he dared not look for the source of the scream. Instead, he ran even faster, sweat beading his brow. His hair flew out behind him in a white arc. Still, the boy didn’t care. He had only one desire: to escape. There was only one place that could protect him, a secret place in the center of the Moon Kingdom Palace._

_As he came around another corner, he ran right into the chest of a guard. The boy sighed in relief as he recognized his longtime bodyguard and friend:_

_“Uragiri! Come quickly! We must go and find Mama and Papa!” he yanked at the man’s sleeve, “People are attacking the palace!”_

_The two guards next to Uragiri began to laugh raucously. Uragiri himself smirked, then bent down to the boy._

_“Actually, those people will be **very** interested- and very happy -to know I’ve found you,” Uragiri said smugly. _

_“What are you talking about?” the boy demanded, taking a step back. He stared at Uragiri, who had begun to unsheath a sword._

_“Arrogant little shit, isn’t he?” commented one of the guard’s who flanked Uragiri._

_“Mm,” agreed the other, “Uragiri, I think we should just kill him ourselves. More fun that way. Plus, we can tell the ladies we slew the demon prince. I’m sure we’ll be very popular after that.” He grinned, pure madness taking over his expression._

_“Gentlemen, I think that’s an excellent plan,” Uragiri said cheerfully, then turned cold eyes to the boy, “Sorry, Your Royal Highness, but you’ve had this coming for a long time!” With that, he swung the sword at the boy, who jumped back with superhuman speed. Uragiri and the other guards furiously chased after him._

_The boy ran around yet another bend, then hid behind a suit of armor. Remembering his fighting training with his father, he slowed his breath so it was indiscernible to human ears- and calmed himself down. Then his eyes flashed red. As the three men came barreling around the corner, the boy expertly tied them up in a distinctly thick, white, contraption._

_The men swore in surprise and ange:_

_“Did he really just tie us up in this furry crap!?”_

_“I thought it was a ceremonial stole! Just for decoration!”_

_“No,” Uragiri sighed, “It’s part of his body. But…that means it can be wounded!”_

_Before the other two men could react, the boy slashed their bodies with his hands- now transformed into claws. The cuts flared a bright green, and the men began to cry out in pain. The boy quickly swiped the claws over their hearts, killing them before their ruckus would summon other soldiers._

_Unfortunately, Uragiri took the opportunity to stab his bonds. The boy cried out in pain and immediately released him. Ignoring the blood dripping on the floor, the boy focused on his old friend._

_“Uragiri,” he asked, confused and terrified, “Why are you doing this!?”_

_Uragiri eyed the blood on the floor, then smirked, “Because your kind isn’t supposed to be here. And you stole what was rightfully ours!” He launched himself at the boy, sword held high._

_“I didn’t steal anything!” the boy protested, dodging Uragiri’s blows. Instead of answering, Uragiri yelled something indiscernible and tried to behead the boy. The boy flipped over to Uragiri’s other side, then slashed through his armor and cut the skin over his heart. Once again, the bright green light flared, and Uragiri slumped to the floor._

_“You were my friend,” the boy whispered, staring at Uragiri in shock._

_“No man could ever be your friend,” Uragiri sneered, “you filthy-” His insult was cut off as the poison took effect. His eyes rolled back in his head, and after one last gasp, it was obvious the man was dead._

_Painfully aware that their argument would have alerted someone a fight was ongoing in this part of the palace, the boy ran from the scene. He tried as best he could to keep the blood dripping from his body off the marble floors, but was only moderately successful. Finally, he gave up, and focused only on reaching the sole sanctuary available to him._

_Not even bothering to check if he had been followed, he pawed at the ornate mosaic before him. It depicted the very first royal family, the family whose example had been followed for centuries on the moon: a demon, a human woman, and a child._

_His voice shaking, he whispered, “I am a son of the Moon, I am a son of the Moon, I am the heir to the royal line of Tsukuyomi and Selene. Protect me in their names. I am a son of the Moon, I am a son of the Moon, I am the heir to the royal line of Tsukuyomi and Selene. Protect me in their names. I am a son-”_

_At last, the eyes in the figures swung to face him. Recognizing the moon sign on his forehead, they nodded, and the stones in the mosaic rumbled and rearranged themselves. A door appeared, and the boy opened the knob._

_Suddenly, he was picked up from behind by his hair. The boy let out a yelp of pain, and his assailant’s sharp nails scraped his cheek, drawing blood._

_“Little brat,” the woman cackled, “did you think you could escape?” With a twist of her hand, she spun the boy around to face her. She took in his wide eyes._

_“You worthless creature. Spawn of demons!” she spat in his face. The boy, for his part, wondered how such anger could come from the woman attacking him. She was beautiful, with long white hair common to the people of the Moon who had mixed blood. Her dark blue eyes- a human feature -were stormy with rage._

_“You are not afraid,” the woman said wonderingly. Then her eyes narrowed into cold slits, and she declared, “You deserve to die.” The woman unsheathed a dagger shaped like a crescent moon._

_“Let go of my son,” a calm voice interjected, but from the imperious phrasing of the command, it was clear its owner was used to being obeyed._

_Both the woman and the boy looked up, she in shock, him in relief._

_“You,” the woman muttered._

_“Mama!” the boy said happily. With all his might, he tried to run to her, but the woman kept a firm grip on him._

_“Mama!” he cried out again, this time in genuine fear._

_“Did you not hear me? I told you to let go of my son,” the other woman, the owner of the imperious voice, said coldly. Her golden eyes gazed at the other woman with utter contempt, and her long white hair, styled in odango with two smaller ponytails in the front, stretched down behind her. She was regally dressed in various robes, the outermost one being a light purple and covered in fur. She wore a beautiful stone around her neck. Though her demeanor was icy, her purple moon insignia flared, indicating her anger._

_“You are no one to command me!” the first woman retorted furiously, her blue eyes blazing, “You crown-stealer, you whore-”_

_The other woman raised one elegant white eyebrow, then said, “I am no whore, and lest you forgot, I am Queen Selenity VI Erinna, **your** queen, and thus I am perfectly entitled to command you!” Her shape rippled, and her golden eyes flashed red. Wind picked up in the chamber. The stone on the queen’s chest flashed. _

_“Before you go sending me off to hell, and transforming into your true form of a dirty dog, keep in mind that I have your whelp.”_

_At the other woman’s words, the bright red glow in the queen’s eyes faded and the wind died away. For the first time, Selenity spared herself a glance at her small, wounded, weakened child. He was very brave, but seeing his mother stand down had scared him more than before. Like many children, he had believed his mother was invincible, and though under normal circumstances she would have defeated the woman, Selenity could not bring herself to put the life of her child at stake. The sight of his blood on the floor was already making her sick._

_“What do you want?” the queen spat out the words. The woman smiled, and perversely began to stroke the boy’s hair. Her blue eyes staring into the queen’s golden ones, she said:_

_“I want- and I speak on the behalf of all Lunarians when I say this -you, your husband, and your stupid brat dead! You took the throne from us! And you should be punished! With your deaths, we will get our kingdom back!”_

_“Your kingdom?” Selenity said coldly, “Even if you kill us, it will **never** be your kingdom. The kingdom can only pass to those in the royal line,” she looked at the woman disdainfully, “which you are not. If you kill us, the Moon Kingdom has no rulers. The holy stone will shatter. The kingdom will perish.” _

_“Your husband, that pathetic excuse for a king, is already fighting for his life!” the woman hissed, “Have you forgotten that you were never the true holder of the crystal anyway? You were the ill-advised replacement queen! And the people have rebelled against you for what you’ve done!”_

_Selenity snapped, “Have **you** forgotten your own nobility elected me to replace the human candidate? I underwent a ceremony to make me human! To adopt me as one of your own! In doing so, the stone passed to me!” her eyes flashed, “I am its rightful mistress, and the rightful queen!” As if in response, the jewel on her chest flickered. _

_The woman tightened her grip on the boy, then brought the dagger close to his throat. The woman eyed Selenity:_

_“And how far are you willing to go to save your whelp’s life?” The boy’s eyes widened as the knife edged closer. He frantically began to kick and paw at the woman, to no avail. He was too weak to transform his hands into claws now, and he was fast running out of options. Eventually, he tried to bite her, and the woman shrieked in pain:_

_“You filthy dog! I’ll kill you!” she screeched. The woman pulled the boy’s head back, exposing his throat._

_At that, the queen’s determination faltered, and her eyes filled with fear. She reached one hand out._

_“Stop! Immediately!” she cried, “I will negotiate with you!”_

_The woman abruptly pulled the dagger away from his jugular, then turned to face Selenity with a dark smile, “Very well.” Still, she yanked the boy closer to her, all the while keeping the dagger in his line of vision._

_“In exchange for your son’s life, I want you and the brat to leave the kingdom and never come back. Any demons who survive are to go with you. The moon should be free of you and purified of your evil influence!”_

_Selenity struggled with the decision to give up the kingdom, but ultimately, she cared more about her child than she did about any crown. Sighing, she closed her eyes, then nodded in resignation._

_“You must give us- and my husband -safe passage out of the kingdom. We will tell any surviving demons to leave with us. They will obey our command.”_

_“Your husband wasn’t part of the bargain.”_

_“He is part of the dynasty. If you want the kingdom to be passed to you, he must be alive to take part in the transfer. Both of us are co-rulers. Neither of us can bequeath it alone.”_

_The woman didn’t like this condition, but she reluctantly accepted it, “Fine. If he’s still alive-”_

_“I have no doubt he will be. My husband is a fearsome warrior.”_

_“-then you three will have safe passage.”_

_“Very well. Give me my son,” Selenity pressed, eager to take her child and leave this wretched place where the people had turned on them so suddenly and so guiltlessly. She only wanted to flee- somewhere- anywhere- where she could give him a safe life._

_“Not so fast,” the woman’s eyes became slits, and she tightened her grip on the boy, “I’m not done negotiating with you. In addition, I want the crystal. And I want the throne to pass to me!”_

_Selenity pursed her lips, “The Meido Stone cannot pass to you. The crystal was cut from the Holy Moon Crystal, but it was made for me. Such would it have been for your prince. He would have had his own gem when he came of age.”_

_“This brat,” the woman spat, “is **not** my prince!” Frustrated by Selenity’s reply, she took the dagger away, coming even closer to neck as though she were seconds away from cutting his throat. _

_“However,” the queen interrupted hastily, “I will leave written orders, and I will personally speak to the rulers of Andromeda to inform them of the change of monarch. I will tell them that as such, a new crystal befitting the new queen is necessary.”_

_The woman smiled, and her dark blue eyes lit up with triumph. Just as quickly, they narrowed in suspicion:_

_“How can I be certain you will keep your word?”_

_Selenity vowed,, “I swear on my son’s life that I will speak to the emperor and write an official declaration of abdication- my husband will sign it as well -proclaiming you as the new queen of the Moon Kingdom!”_

_“Fine,” the woman smiled, and this time her pleased expression remained, “but I will still hang onto your son until the papers are signed. When that occurs, I will hand him over to you. And I want you out of the galaxy!”_

_Selenity could not believe the woman was still going to keep her son hostage. She was petrified that the woman would murder him anyway after she ascended the throne. As a queen, none of the citizens would stop her._

_“I give you my word that my son and I will leave the galaxy. However, how can I be sure that you will keep your word?” Selenity queried warily._

_The woman shrugged, “We’re women of honor, are we not? Besides, if you still don’t trust me after I’m crowned- and I want you off the Moon before my coronation, which will take place tomorrow; so you’ll need to leave tonight -you can always remember that I’m a neat woman. I won’t want blood on the floor of my new palace,” she smiled sweetly. Selenity fought the urge to kill her. The queen had to remember her son...he was more important than this cruel woman._

_“On condition of my son’s safety, and my husband’s, my son’s, and my safe passage out of the Moon Kingdom, I accept your terms,” Selenity said. She gazed directly into the woman’s dark blue eyes, “When I sign the papers, what regnal name should I use for you?”_

_The woman smiled, “Serenity the first, for it was I who brought peace to the Moon Kingdom by banishing the demons.”_


	2. Tutoring

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Just a quick note that Queen Serenity I (the First), Queen Serenity IX (Princess Serenity's/Usagi's mother), and Queen Selenity are three different people. Queen Serenity I is a distant ancestor of Queen Serenity IX, while Queen Selenity is not related to either. I am aware that Serenity and Selenity are both acceptable spellings of the name; however, for my purposes in this story, they are three separate names for three separate people. 
> 
> Thanks for following! I love messages and comments!

**CHAPTER 1: TUTORING**

"Yes, Savitr," said Queen Serenity IX, "I think it would benefit both of our kingdoms dramatically. And it would be good for you to have diplomatic representation among the Sol System Federation."

The King of the Sun Kingdom contemplated this, "Serenity, I've told you dozens of times before. I don't want to join your Federation. The Sun Kingdom is perfectly strong on its own."

"But of course!" the queen replied enthusiastically, "Still, wouldn't it due to erase some of the misconceptions often attributed to the Sun Kingdom populace?"

King Savitr scratched his chin absentmindedly, "It is true, we are often regarded as barbarians simply because we do not ally ourselves with you-"

"Which you most certainly are not!" affirmed Serenity, "Still, to show this, your daughters should attend school with the other princesses. It would be such a large step, and the nobility could say nothing against it." She bit her lip. She wanted to pursue this alliance very badly (it was perplexing to her that the very center of the Sol System was not a member of its Federation), but if Savitr refused her offer, then any hope of one between the Moon and Sun Kingdoms was not to be.

Savitr sighed. He was often not treated equally at diplomatic meetings because he hadn't joined the Federation, and this frustrated him deeply. The monarchs didn't respect his decisions, and it wouldn't bode well for the Sun Kingdom as a whole in the end. It was only a matter of _where_ his daughters attended school, after all. They'd be receiving roughly the same education- but his own nobility would protest. Perhaps some kind of arrangement could be made...

"Serenity, I cannot send _all_ of my daughters to school on the Moon Kingdom!" Savitr laughed, "I've over fifty! Your poor teachers would be at a loss. However, the wisdom of your suggestion is not lost at me. I will send one of my daughters to school. This should please both my own nobility and yours."

Serenity kept back a faint smile, "Very well, Savitr. Which of your daughters?"

Savitr considered. He could pick Tali; she would surely appreciate such an opportunity. Still, she had a wild streak. Marili would be married within the month, Risuyo was too young...

“Kagome,” he said decisively, “Kagome Kiori.”

Serenity nodded, “I’ll inform the steward to put her on the list immediately. We’ll expect her at nine-thirty A.M., Monday morning.”

* * *

Kagome looked up nervously at the vast gardens of the Moon Kingdom. They were well-trimmed, and far more luxurious than those of the Sun Kingdom- not to mention much larger! How was she ever supposed to find her way about the place??? She picked up her small red bag, and realized Isuki, her maid, hadn’t come with her.

_Darn her!_ Kagome thought, _She’s supposed to be here for things like this! Although,_ she considered, _It may not have been her fault. Kagura could have called her for something._ Isuki wasn’t maid to only her; she also served four other princesses of the sun, and Kagome’s sisters: Kagura, Tali, Marili, and Risuyo. They were all of varying ages, from Marili (who was preparing to be wed) to Risuyo, whose ninth birthday was just next week. Kagura was next oldest, followed by Tali, and lastly by Risuyo. Kagome fell in between Tali and Risuyo.

Kagome sighed. She should stop complaining- Isuki wasn’t going to appear no matter what she did. Servants weren’t allowed to use the teleportation systems unaccompanied anyway.

She started to walk, admiring the familiar orchids along her current path. They were native to the sun, and though they seemed to flourish well on the moon, she noticed they’d taken on a purple hue- very different from their usual golden orange. The sweet-smelling flowers soothed her, and she stopped paying attention to where she was turning.

Suddenly, she walked into something very hard.

“Ouch!” she cried out. She gazed up, startled, at what- or rather, who -she’d just crashed into.

He was very handsome, and undeniably striking, with long flowing white hair and bright gold eyes. He wore a strange combination of armor and noble robes, and carried two swords. His face was adorned with violet war paint, and on his brow, there was a purple crescent moon.

_Is he one of the Moon family? Oh great, Kagome! Spectacular entrance!_ she chastised herself.

“I’m sorry, my lord,” she managed to say, “I was enjoying your flowers, and I began to daydream...”

“My flowers?” the man looked surprised, “They are not mine. Are you lost?”

Kagome started at this, “Er...yes,” she blushed, “My name is Kagome-”

“Princess Kagome Kiori, of the Sun Kingdom?” inquired the man.

“Yes,” said Kagome, taken aback. _Who is this guy?_ she wondered.

“Then you are late for your lessons,” he said sharply, “Come this way.” He tucked his arm under hers and began to escort her through the maze that was the gardens.

* * *

“Ladies!” snapped Lady Crawford, “Pay attention! You will need to know how to address a duke, every one of you!”

The Inner Princesses snickered. They’d been attending similar lessons from Lady Crawford- or as they called her, Lady Crotchford -for the past three years. While her training was undeniably useful, it was also incredibly boring. They never paid attention anyway, save for Princess Ami of Mercury. She taught it to them all later, when it really counted.

“You know,” whispered Princess Minako of Venus, “I _do_ know how to address a duke. If you tell him he’s brave and handsome, he’s like pudding in your hands.”

“Mina!” giggled Princess Rei of Mars, “You sound like an Earth-maiden!”

“Maybe,” giggled Minako back, “But the difference is I’m much prettier, and much less free with my virtue!”

“Guys, come on!” hissed Princess Serenity of the Moon Kingdom, “You know Earthlings aren’t like that.” She twisted a strand of hair absentmindedly, no doubt referencing her lover, Prince Endymion.

Minako shrugged, “Honestly, Serenity, we don’t. You’re the only one of us who’s met one.” She drummed her fingers on her desk, “I mean, how are we to know that what the nobility says isn’t true? I mean most of what they say _is._ ”

“Oh really?” snapped Serenity, “Like how your father and Queen Ariesna are visiting each others beds?”

“Serenity!” Rei screeched in defense of her mother, “You know that’s not true!”

“That’s my point,” Serenity said dryly, “You can’t always believe everything you hear, no matter who says it.”

A cold hand laid itself on Serenity’s shoulder, “I can tell you this, princesses, and it is most definitely true: I am going to fail you all, and thus forbid you from going to the Masquerade Ball next week if you do not stop ** _talking_**!” shrieked Lady Crawford.

The princesses collectively sweat-dropped, but dutifully stopped chatting. None of them wanted to risk their chances of attending the Masquerade Ball. They wouldn’t be accompanied by family-approved escorts, and it was the perfect chance to flirt without a chaperone. They’d been dreaming of such an event their entire lives, and even gossip wouldn’t get in the way of that.

“Excuse me, your highnesses, Lady Crawford,” a smooth voice interrupted their lesson. The princesses stood rapt at attention- anyone was better than Lady Crawford!

Princess Serenity gracefully got up and walked over, “Good day, Lord Sesshomaru.” She kept perfect composure, even though she knew her mother didn’t approve of him. He was the ambassador for the Andromeda Galaxy, but also the exiled prince- and truthfully, the rightful heir of the Moon Kingdom. However, there was no way Queen Serenity could politely refuse him, and as she refused to disgrace Sesshomaru even further, he was allowed to stay.

Sesshomaru bowed slightly, “Your Royal Highness. May I introduce Princess Kagome Kiori, of the Sun Kingdom. She became lost en route here, and entranced in the gardens,” he turned to Kagome, “ _Your_ Highness, may I present Princess Serenity of the Moon Kingdom, heiress apparent and future queen of all you see before you.”

Kagome was intimidated by Serenity. She was undeniably beautiful, with long golden locks and bright blue eyes. Her forehead, Kagome noted, had a gold moon symbol. _Was that the insignia of the Moon family?_ she wondered. _Is Sesshomaru’s merely one of citizenship?_

She shook her head slightly, and gave a small curtsy, “I’m Kagome. It is a pleasure to meet you.”

Serenity bobbed back, and smiled, “I’m Serenity. It’s nice to meet you too. Let me introduce you to everyone!” she took Kagome’s hand like an old friend and led her over to the other princesses, who were all seated at their desks beneath an ornate marble gazebo.

“This is Princess Ami of Mercury, Princess Minako of Venus, Princess Rei of Mars, and Princess Makoto of Jupiter,” each of the princesses smiled and murmured a how-do-you-do, “This is our gracious instructor, Lady Crawford.” Lady Crawford didn’t bow to Kagome, and regarded her with narrow eyes. Kagome bit her lip, but offered a curtsy.

“Also known as Lady Crotchford,” Serenity whispered amicably, then continued, “And of course you’ve already met Lord Sesshomaru, ambassador of the Andromeda Galaxy. Although he’s not usually delivering lost princesses.”

Sesshomaru said, “Yes, well, Her Majesty’s council meeting ended early this morning, Your Highness. I had a few free hours, and Her Imperial Majesty, Empress Kikyuri, admires your flowers very much. She asked me what kind of plants you cultivate.”

Serenity tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, “There’s a list in the library, I think, my lord. If you would like to reference it,” she added hastily, “If not, I could always ask Sir Groden, the head of our gardeners, what there is for you.”

“You are too kind, Your Royal Highness,” Sesshomaru said, “Still, I am interrupting your lessons. Good day, Your Royal Highness, Your Highnesses; my lady,” he bowed, then turned and disappeared into the shrubbery. Kagome spent a couple of moments staring after him. Then, she felt a gentle tug on her arm.

“Come on, Kagome,” said Serenity, “We have to finish sometime before eleven thirty to be ready for lunch. Let’s see if we can find you a desk.” She guided Kagome under the gazebo, then realized there wasn’t a place set for her.

“It seems we’re missing one,” she said, slightly upset, “Let me go ask for one-”

“No need,” cut in Lady Crawford sardonically, “While I was pleased that Your Highness is not totally uneducated in the matter of curtsying, there is a lot to be desired. In all of you,” she snapped, cutting of Makoto’s giggles, “Stand up. We’re going to drill your curtsies until you get them right.”

“Or our legs bleed,” muttered Rei. The other princesses erupted in laughter. Kagome, after a moment, joined in.

“Princess Rei! What did you say?” demanded Lady Crawford, “That will be an extra drill in kingly curtsies for you!”

Rei moaned, “No, please Lady Crawford! I am sorry, truly!” Kingly curtsies were some of the deepest, most difficult, and most painful to execute.

“Princess Rei,” said Lady Crawford, “I’ve never known you to be sorry in your life. Now let’s get on with it before I throw in some imperial curtsies.”


	3. Fast Friends

**CHAPTER 2: FAST FRIENDS  
**

The princesses walked together through the marble hallways of the Moon Palace. Kagome was astonished at how friendly they all were, especially Serenity. She'd only been attending school with them for one day, and already felt like she was accepted and valued. 

They were just closing in on the doors to the teleportation room (so Kagome could reference where it was next time, and not end up in the gardens) when Minako stopped dead in her tracks. She latched onto Serenity's arm and said:

"Serenity! Why is Kagome going home?"

Serenity looked perplexed, and Kagome offered was puzzled herself.

_What in the stars is she talking about?_ wondered Kagome. 

"Come on! The rest of us are sleeping over!" Minako tugged frantically on the corner of Serenity's gown, "Kagome should too!" Serenity's entire face lit up as she took in Mina's suggestion. 

"What a fantastic idea!" she exclaimed, "I can't believe I didn't think of it! Do you want to stay over, Kagome? We have sleepovers every Wednesday and Friday- since most of them are here for balls already!"

"And we need plenty of time to gossip for the balls!" Makoto giggled, "So we prep on Wednesdays!"

“So do you want to stay?” said Serenity, with a wide smile. 

Kagome was shell-shocked. These girls were being so open and kind to her. A bright grin came over her face as she announced:

“I’d love to! I’ve never had a real sleepover- except for being with my sisters, and they don’t really count,” she began excitedly, then trailed off, “But my father...he didn’t really want to send me here for tutoring anyway. I don’t know how he’ll react to me actually staying here overnight.”

Rei grinned, “Just let Queen Serenity talk to him. She’s great at persuasion.” 

“I don’t know,” Kagome was somewhat doubtful, “It took a lot to get him to just send me here in the daytime, even with Queen Serenity...”

“Oh, stop worrying!” said Ami brightly, “That’s my job.” The other girls laughed, and they failed to notice Queen Serenity walk up behind them. 

“Good evening girls,” Queen Serenity intoned pleasantly, “How was your first day, Kagome?” 

Kagome smiled at the lovely queen, “It was very nice, Your Majesty. Thank you so much-”

“Mother,” Serenity interrupted, but with the face of an angel, “Could you talk to King Savitr and ask if Kagome could stay the night? _Please_?” Serenity and Minako clasped their hands in supplicating positions, while Ami, Makoto, and Rei set off in a fit of giggles. 

Queen Serenity looked surprised, “Do you want to, Kagome? It _is_ very sudden. I don’t mind, of course, but your father may have a different opinion.” The girls immediately stopped laughing, and assumed their begging poses again. 

Kagome answered truthfully, “I’d really like to, Your Majesty. If it’s not too much trouble,” she added hastily. 

Queen Serenity nodded, “All right then. I’ll see what I can do. In the meantime, consider yourself the latest addition to the Moon Kingdom’s Royal ‘Party of Slumbering.’” Serenity laughed a bit herself as she mocked the names of a variety of balls, then swept off to the Communications Office. 

Kagome looked back at Ami, “This means I’m staying, right?” 

“Yes,” Ami nodded vigorously. A few seconds later, the girls enveloped Kagome in a hug.

“YAY!” they shouted, and jumped up and down. Of course, as this was extremely difficult to do with all the long trains they were carrying, they ended up in a heap on the floor in order. 

“Come on!” said Makoto, “We’re wasting time! We need to show Kagome everything!”

“So what’s first?” asked Ami. The others looked at her as if she were deranged.

“What else?” said Rei in shock. 

“THE BATHS!” squealed Serenity and Minako, and they half-dragged Kagome after them out the door. 

* * *

  
Kagome sunk deeper into the lovely haze of bubbles. It was absolutely divine. She’d had baths...but nothing like this!

The girls had taken her to an enormous chamber. Like most of the palace, the entire room was white marble. This room, however, was filled with glittering mosaics of oceans and fish, and was outfitted with charming little tables. In the very center, there was an enormous pool. One walked down into it- Serenity explained it was similar in manner to an Earthan beach, although Kagome wasn't sure what that was, as she'd never been to Earth -and was greeted with warm, frothing, water. At the far end of the pool, there was an enormous waterfall. It hid what Kagome had quickly found to be an amusing slide, which twisted and turned every which way before finally spitting out the occupant to the left of the waterfall. At the side of the pool, there were nearly thirty or so different buttons. When Kagome had asked what they were for, Minako had taken her over and pointed out the variety of bathing options provided: 

_Bubbles: Large, Medium, Small. Available in pale pink, light green, lilac, baby blue, and soft yellow. Scented or unscented._   
_Scents: Lilac, rose, orchid, daffodil, daisy, apple, peach, vanilla, mango, mint._   
_Waves: Large, Medium, Small. Constant or Alternating._   
_Moisturizing_   
_Purifying_   
_Bath Bombs: Any of the aforementioned qualities combined into a charming ball of your choice. Simply drop one for a radius of five feet of customized bathing options, or drop five for the entire pool._

When Kagome had shown obvious confusion over what to pick, the girls suggested she do a ‘crazed combo’ -all of them. They’d tried it, and within minutes, the pool had become filled with waves and bubbles. They shrieked with laughter, especially when Rei picked up a bath bomb and threw it at Amy. Amy had looked shocked, then ordered her own bomb and tossed it back. It had evolved into a full-blown water fight, which eventually forced them onto two teams: Serenity, Minako, and Kagome, and Ami, Makoto, and Rei. Finally, Serenity, Minako, and Kagome won, but only because they’d had the foresight to take refuge atop the slide. 

Now, they were thoroughly exhausted, and had stopped the waves except for small alternating ones. They sat in the shallow end, sipping fruit-flavored drinks and admiring each other’s suits. 

“Hmm,” said Ami, “Is that new, Makoto?” Makoto had been sporting a metallic green bathing suit, trimmed with gold ribbon. 

“Yes,” the Jupterian stood up and twirled proudly, “Do you like it?”

“I’d love it,” said Rei, “If you hadn’t just tossed bubbles in my apple smoothie!” 

“Don’t worry, Rei,” said Serenity, “I’ve got the perfect replacement. Adira! Could you bring some of that new Earthan delicacy? Please? I forget what it’s called.” She laughed sheepishly. 

A few moments later, a bemused looking Adira came sporting a golden basket. Inside, Kagome noted, were a variety of small, round, brown items. Some were darker than others, and a few were white. 

“What is that stuff?” asked Ami disdainfully. Although Kagome couldn’t help but agree with her- it did look a little gross. 

“Ah! Now I remember!” Serenity declared, popping one of the darker brown ones into her mouth, “It’s called ‘chocolate.’ Earth just sent boatloads over the other day as a gift. It’s SOO good!”

The other girls eyed her doubtfully, but Minako sighed and picked one up. She put it into her mouth and slowly chewed. The other girls eyed her furiously, as if expecting her to drop dead. 

Suddenly, Minako’s eyes nearly popped out of her head, “That’s SINFUL!” she screamed, “Give me some more!” She began to wrestle with Serenity over a light brown one. 

The other girls looked on, then reached in and took pieces themselves. Kagome breathed in shock and pleasure as she ate one of the light brown ones.

_That **is** sinful!_ she thought to herself, _We have got to figure out how Earthans make it!_

Several minutes later, the girls had all concurred that chocolate was indeed divine, and Minako and Serenity had been properly supplied with their own stashes of it (which they were guarding jealously). Now was the perfect time for gossip to commence. 

“So, Kagome,” Rei asked, voice full of mischief, “What do you think of Lord Sesshomaru?”

Kagome was startled. She began to blush furiously, “Oh...er...he’s very kind.”

The other girls looked at each other knowingly. Minako leaned in, “Ok, confess to the princess of the Love Planet. Do you like him?”

“I don’t know!” said Kagome, stunned at how personal the conversation had gotten- and so quickly! “I mean, he’s handsome, and chivalrous, and dashing-”

“Sounds like you like him to me!” Makoto giggled.

“I barely know him!” insisted Kagome, “He is handsome, but I don’t know if I like him. I only talked to him for about five minutes. He just asked my name, and then introduced me to you, Serenity.”

Serenity didn’t answer, but the other girls joined in the gossip fest eagerly. 

“You know,” said Ami, “I bet Lord Sesshomaru will be going to the Masquerade Ball next week.” 

“Oh my gosh!” said Rei, “You’re right! And Kagome- you’re going, aren’t you?” 

“Well, I think so,” said Kagome, “My father said he was going, and it only makes sense that I would go, since I’m getting tutored here.” 

“Yes!” the princesses shouted in excitement, “It’s the perfect chance to flirt with him!” They immediately began making plans about how to coerce Sesshomaru to dance with Kagome. 

“You guys,” Serenity cut in shortly, “You’re forgetting about Kikyo.”

“Who’s Kikyo?” asked Kagome, puzzled. The others quieted down. 

Finally, Ami answered, “She is the princess and heiress to the Andromeda Galaxy. She’s also Sesshomaru’s betrothed.”

Kagome felt as though her heart was crushed, “So- does he love her?” she asked after a moment. 

“I don’t know,” said Makoto, “Don’t count yourself out. Sesshomaru barely ever sees Kikyo. Plus, I think it’s mostly an arranged marriage.”

Minako enthused, “Yeah. Empress Kikyuri and Archduchess Erinna forced them to become engaged when she was sixteen and he was- well, how old was he, guys?”

“Nine hundred and six,” interjected Serenity quietly, “About a year ago now.”

Kagome’s hand flew to her mouth, “I didn’t know he was that old! He’s...ancient.”

“He’s not an old man,” Serenity said, “He’s young, according to his race’s standards.”

“What do you mean?” asked Kagome. 

Serenity looked shocked, “You didn’t know, Kagome? Sesshomaru’s,” she whispered here, “a demon.”

Kagome’s mouth dropped open, “But I thought...” she trailed off. 

“Demons aren’t permitted in the Moon Kingdom,” explained Minako, “save for those originally from Planet Mau. They’re the only truly non-savage ones, although Lord Sesshomaru does a fine job of keeping his true self in check. It’s stunning really, considering he has every right to go on a murder spree here.”

“What are you talking about?” asked Kagome, trying to keep her voice from shaking.

“Sesshomaru was supposed to be king here, Kagome,” said Ami, “His mother, Erinna, is Serenity VI Erinna. She was a demoness princess of the moon, back when humans and demons shared the throne. Well, Serenity V, the human heiress, died. Erinna was chosen to succeed her (as Serenity V had no children), but the humans felt the throne was being taken out of their hands. They forced Erinna, her husband, and their son- Sesshomaru- into exile. Then, when the demons began to use violence in protest of this act, Serenity I used the Silver Crystal to banish them permanently and save the Moon Kingdom.”

The Solarian shook her head in disbelief, “So why is Sesshomaru still here?”

“Empress Kikyuri of Andromeda has chosen him to be her ambassador to the Moon Kingdom,” snorted Rei, “They took Erinna and Sesshomaru in. Erinna’s an archduchess there- second in power only to the queen herself. Sesshomaru became a lord, and very skilled in diplomacy. Kikyuri sends him here. She says it’s because he’s the best diplomat, and therefore perfect for relations between the capital of the Lactea Galaxy and her own dominion. My father says it’s her idea of a joke. It’s almost an affront, really.”

Kagome was silent, and began to sink deeper in the bubbles. _Sesshomaru? A demon lord? Rebel prince? Dangerous?_ she shook her head, _No. I can’t think of him like that. He can’t be like that- can he?_

The others noticed her distress. 

“Are you okay?” asked Minako, comfortingly. . 

“I’m fine,” Kagome lied, and popped another chocolate into her mouth. 


	4. The Masquerade

Serenity strolled down the marble steps leading into the ballroom of the Moon Palace. She was dressed entirely in white, and held a white feathered mask to her face. She knew perfectly well since she was an iconic figure (and the guards had to keep an eye on her at all times) she couldn't truly dress in costume, so what she had done was decide to go as a younger version of her mother. One of the servants gifted with magic powers had helped her disguise her hair color, altering it from its normal golden blonde to a shining white. Queen Serenity herself took her old princess gown out from the depths of her closet and assisted her daughter in putting it on, fondly recalling how difficult it was to lace up than the modern dresses everyone wore in today's age. 

Princess Serenity gazed around the ballroom for her friends. Even though she wasn't truly disguised, she suspected they would be. Though they were also icons to their home planets, they didn't have to be watched by guards tonight. Their parents had decided that the Moon Palace Guards would be up to the mask of knowing that all the guests at the ball were important, and be able to protect them easily. 

The first Serenity recognized was Princess Rei of Mars, although she didn’t look much like Rei. She was dressed in a slim-fitting bright red dress with gold accents, and pair of yellow wings adorned her back. Equipped with an elaborate topaz studded mask accompanied by feathers, and equally stunning topaz jewelry, she looked amazing. Her most striking feature, arguably, was _her_ hair, which she’d had colored red. 

“Rei?” she queried, although she didn’t think she was wrong. 

“Hi, Serenity!” smiled the lovely princess of Mars back at her, “Do you like my disguise?”

“It’s amazing, Rei!” enthused Serenity, “Your hair is what threw me off the most, of course. But what are you supposed to be? Some kind of fire fairy?” 

Rei rolled her eyes, “I’m a phoenix, you idiot!” She slapped Serenity playfully on the shoulder. 

“Oh!” Serenity giggled, “I’m sorry! You just don't look much like a bird to me, that's all!"

"Well, you don't look much like your mother, either," Rei retorted with a sniff, "You're a lot less graceful. Come on, let's go find Kagome."

Ignoring Serenity's affronted protests, Rei dragged her across the ballroom. She quickly located both Kagome and Minako, which was a feat Serenity couldn’t have accomplished on such short notice. 

Both were dressed gorgeously, though in vastly different designs. Minako was adorned in a gown that appeared very Old Millennium- or in the very early years of the Silver Millennium - style. It had a full pale yellow skirt, with trailing green leaves over it, and a pale orange bodice. On the bodice were white frills, and orange roses made from silk. On the whole, it was far more haute couture than many “modern” gowns, but it still looked as though Minako was simply a noblewoman, daughter of a duchess perhaps, who’d dug through her mother’s old closet. She appeared nothing like a princess- and had even shorn her luscious locks to look the part!

“Minako!” gasped Serenity, “Your hair-”

“It’s okay,” Minako smiled, “It was getting in the way of everything, anyhow. It was time for a change. I wanted to look like a noblewoman, not a princess! And of course,” she smiled wickedly, “Mother will despise it! I can’t wait to see her face!”

Although it was rarely spoken off, it was well-known that Princess and Queen Venus had a rocky relationship. The princess was fiercely independent, and preferred radical courses of action (and dress) than the queen did. Also, Princess Venus was severely against arranged marriages, a fact that was scandalous to most of the Silver Millennium, not just Queen Venus. Due to all of this, the queen often fought with her daughter and vice versa, and it was not uncommon to see them trying to rile one another up. 

Rei giggled, “You are right! Your mother is going to kill you! She’s always going on about how ‘long hair is the signature of a princess royal, and to remove it would confer the status of inferiority.’”

“I know!” said Minako, “Isn’t it grand? But look at what I whipped up for Kagome!” She gently pushed Kagome forward, and the other girls gasped. 

Kagome was dressed in a short pale pink silk frock, with two cherry blossoms attached to the strap shoulders. Her hair was loose, without even pins, and held only two cherry blossoms. A simple mask covered her eyes. 

“You look gorgeous, Kagome!” said Serenity, “But your gown is...well, it’s rather short.”

“It’s fine,” Minako smoothly cut in, “It’s not THAT short. It’s just above her knees. It’s acceptable.”

“But it’s not a ball gown,” riposted Serenity. 

“It is, actually,” interjected Kagome, “It’s a summer ball gown. From back home. Our summers are so hot that all the ladies wear shorter gowns with fewer adornments, so that they don’t sweat as much,” she bit her lip, “but does anyone on the Moon Kingdom know that?”

“Probably not,” said Rei, “I know no one on Mars knows that!” Kagome looked worried, but Minako rested her hand on her arm. 

“Don’t worry about it! We needed a fashion statement around here. Your dress is perfect; absolutely stunning, to be honest. It’s simple yet elegant, and it’s such a contrast to what everyone else is wearing. You’re sure to stand out!” she babbled in excitement.

Kagome thought quietly to herself, _That’s what I’m worried about._ She’d let Minako convince her dressing like this would be no problem, but she thought now that perhaps there might be adverse effects.

 _The Sun Kingdom has a poor enough reputation among these people_ , she thought, _Dressing like this was an enormous mistake- it can’t make me appear well!_  
She came back into the conversation in response to Serenity’s question, “What are you going as?”

“She’s a cherry blossom!” snorted Rei, exasperated, “And Minako’s a rose! Can you seriously not tell!?!?” The two princesses began to bicker, as Minako sweat-dropped. 

_I have to change this. There has to be some way to make this acceptable_ , Kagome thought furiously, _Wait a minute...._

“I’m not a cherry blossom,” she whispered.

“Sorry Kagome, what was that?” asked Serenity. She and Rei had momentarily stopped butting heads. 

“I’m not a cherry blossom,” Kagome repeated, “I’m Persephone. Lady of spring. The first queen of Pluto!”

“That’s perfect!” Minako squealed, “No one can say it’s inappropriate! You look actually really close to her portrait- it hangs in one of hallways here.”

“It’s a great diplomatic choice too,” Kagome grinned, “My father has wanted an alliance with Pluto for ages, although their king has consistently refused because we’re not part of the Sol System Federation. This could change his mind!”

The princesses were interrupted by the rapping of a butler’s staff on the palace floor. All eyes went to the top of the stairs. 

“Announcing the arrival of the royals of the Outer Planets,” he said formally, “Presenting the Royal Family of Saturn. Their Majesties, King Cronus IV and Queen Demetria of the House of Tomoe, and Their Majesties’ children, His Highness Prince Sojan and Her Highness Princess Hotaru of Saturn!” 

The Saturnian family were all dressed in various somber shades of deep violet and black. They wore simple masks. The contrast between them and the other nobility was so stark that Kagome was actually taken aback. 

“It’s good to see Hotaru again,” Serenity whispered to Minako. 

The Venusian princess nodded, “The rest of them look like they’re still in mourning, but she looks much better since the last time we saw her. She’s even smiling- well, a little.”

“That is progress,” Serenity said, “but can you blame her for being sad? You remember what happened." Minako nodded, but Kagome was puzzled. She nudged Ami to explain, and the Mercurian princess whispered: "Her older sister was killed by demons. She transformed into Sailor Saturn- she was the oldest of us and already had been trained by her mother because Saturn’s post is so important. Then she died defending Hotaru’s life.” 

“How sad,” Kagome gasped, shaking her head and looking at Hotaru with sympathy. 

_That poor girl,_ she thought, _What a heavy burden she carries on her shoulders._

Once the Saturn royals has descended the stairs, the butler rapped his staff again: 

“Now presenting the Royal Family of Uranus. Their Majesties, King Caelus and Queen Ariel III of the House of Tenoh, and Their Majesties’ children, Her Highness Princess Haruka and His Highness Prince Amarion of Uranus!” 

The Uranian family were dressed curiously. The king wore the outfit of a hunter, wile his wife was draped all over in flowers in the style of a maenad. Their costumes were deliberate and elaborate. Their children, however, seemed to have no costumes. Amarion and Haruka both sported normal formalwear, with him in a dark blue tuxedo edged in gold, a navy cape trailing behind him, and her in a slim-fitting navy gown. They escorted each other down the stairs, giggling all the way. 

“Isn’t he gorgeous?” Rei sighed, nudging Kagome, “I wish I was marrying him!” 

“You and every other girl in the system,” Makoto joked, “but you know well-enough you can’t marry him, since-”

“He’s betrothed to Michiru; I know, I know!” Rei snapped, “I get it! Just let me fantasize!” The other princesses laughed. 

“Now presenting the Royal Family of Neptune. Their Majesties, King Poseidon II and Queen Tranquility XIV-”

“Tranquility’s a family name,” Minako whispered to Kagome, “Like Serenity. Every queen of Neptune takes it. ”

“-and Their Majesties’ daughter, Her Highness, Princess Michiru of Neptune!” 

Michiru was undeniably beautiful. She had come dressed as a water nymph, and her gown of transparent aqua silk complemented her equally aqua hair perfectly. The gown shimmered slightly in the light. 

“She’s too perfect,” Rei grumbled. 

Princess Michiru gracefully made it to the end of the steps. Many of the eyes of the males in the ballroom flocked to her, and they looked her up and down appreciatively. Michiru smirked slightly, but then resumed a serene smile as she saw Serenity. She waved, then took the arm of Prince Amarion, who had waited for her. He swept her a gallant bow, and the two walked off to the side of the room. 

Finally, there was only one royal family left: that of Pluto. Pluto was the last of the planets in the Sol System Federation, and it was also one of the most mysterious. Its residents were refined, but aloof. Supposedly, the royal family- and its princess -were the same way. 

“Now presenting,” the butler said, tapping his cane once more, “The Royal Family of Pluto. Their Majesties, King Chronos VII and Dowager Queen Eternity of the House of Meioh, and His Majesty’s daughter, Her Highness Princess Setsuna of Pluto.” The king was a tall, regal man who dressed all in black. Unlike the other monarchs in the room, he sported no crown, but rather a silver circlet with a garnet gem that fell on his forehead. He was rather serious, and on his arm he escorted a very queenly looking elderly woman. Her eyes were bright scarlet, and her hair was slowly fading to grey. Dozens of garnets were fastened in her curls. Behind them came Princess Pluto, who had chosen to come dressed as a storm. Her gown was covered with silver silk lightning bolts and angry, black, velvet clouds. Those two were intersected by fine rain. The whole effect was very elegant. Kagome gulped and wondered how she’d ever thought her simple pink frock was ever going to impress this family. 

This time, Serenity leaned in to explain, “The Dowager Queen is Setsuna’s grandmother. You know the Pluto royals watch over the Time Stream, right? Eternity just came back ten years ago. Her daughter- Setsuna’s mother, Destiny -is there now. Eventually, Setsuna will go there too, but right now she’s in training.” 

_Great_ , Kagome thought, _I forgot they control time. If I make a fool of myself they’ll never forget it! I bet they’ll go and replay it over and over-_

She was brought out of her reverie by the arrival of the handsome prince Amarion. Amarion’s eyes twinkled as he swept a bow to Rei:

“Darling Rei,” he murmured, “You look absolutely stunning. Though you must know the beauty of the phoenix is no much for the true beauty of yourself.” He kissed her hand. Rei looked like she was about to melt onto the floor. 

Kagome squinted at Amarion. There was something...off about him. She couldn’t put her finger on it, but there was definitely something wrong. His sister, Haruka, popped out of the shadows. 

“Hello girls,” she said. Her voice was deep, but elegant. Like her brother, she winked. Again, Kagome noted her form-fitting dress- and was utterly confused. The princess did not seem to have breasts. How...bizarre. 

Just then, Amarion saw Haruka, and his eyebrows raised as he snapped, “You dolt! Go to the powder room!” 

“Wait a second,” Rei narrowed her eyes, “Come back here, both of you.” The prince and princess couldn’t very well run out of the ballroom, so they stared at Rei, Haruka nervously, Amarion defiantly. 

“Oh, my Mars,” she said, “Please tell me that you did _not_ come to this ball as each other. Please!” 

The twins smiled, though “Haruka” had by now started to laugh nervously. 

“Haruka!” Rei shrieked, “I cannot **_believe you just embarrassed me like that_**!” “Amarion” grinned:

“Oh come on, Rei. It was too good an opportunity to resist!” The other girls laughed with her. 

Makoto quipped, “Well, you two definitely win for best costume.” 

Amarion- well, Haruka -laughed raucously, “Thanks, guys. But remember, it’s a secret. Our private joke, eh? Don’t let anyone in on it! Just let them wonder why the two crazy Uranus twins forgot costumes...”

Serenity smiled conspiratorially, “Whatever you say, ‘Amarion,’” remembering Kagome, she added, “Oh! And of course we must introduce you! This is Princess Kagome Kiori of the Sun Kingdom.” 

“The new girl learns fast,” the real Amarion commented, “You’re Persephone, aren’t you?” 

Kagome nodded, “Nice to meet you Amar- er, Haruka?” The prince started to bow, but then recalled his role. Instead he leaned forward and kissed her on the cheek. 

“And, if I recall, isn’t your father terribly interested in an alliance with the Plutonian Royal Family? You’re a clever one. As you can see, I love disguises. I also love politics. I think yours will work charmingly.”

Kagome was so taken aback she had no idea what to say. She couldn’t tell whether Amarion was teasing her or threatening her. 

At last, she said, “If you love disguises so much, you need to go to the bathroom and stuff your corset. You forgot your breasts on the stairs.” 

Amarion’s eyes widened, and he followed Kagome’s pointed finger. Sure enough, there were two crumpled pieces of paper on the steps. Utterly embarrassed, he muttered his excuses and ran to the bathroom. The princesses laughed, Haruka most of all. 

A regal voice cut them off, “Good evening.” They turned in surprise to see Princess Setsuna herself. 

Serenity greeted her warmly, “Suna! It’s so good to see you!” She embraced the elder princess, who smiled at her indulgently. 

“And you too, Your Royal Highness,” her eyes flicked across the group of princesses to rest on Kagome. She added, “I wasn’t aware Solarians knew much about Plutonian history.” Her remark stung, but her eyes showed no malice. Kagome doubted the princess meant to hurt her, and realized that instead Setsuna was genuinely curious. 

Kagome shrugged in reply, “We may be antisocial, but that doesn’t make us stupid,” she looked at Setsuna and said brazenly, “Just like Plutonians.” 

Setsuna’s eyes widened, and then she laughed, a sound that the twinkling of many bells. At her outburst, King Chronos strode over to his daughter. His stern expression never wavered as he demanded: 

“Which of you has made my daughter laugh?”

The princesses (and “Amarion”) were silent, fearing the wrath of the powerful king. Many rumors told of his fabled temper. Legend had it that people who annoyed the powerful Plutonian royal were cast into the fourth dimension, never to be heard from again. 

“Father,” Setsuna said amicably, “This is Princess Kagome Kiori of the Sun Kingdom. She has come to study with Princess Serenity and the other Inner Princesses here.”

If Chronos was perturbed by the mention of the Sun Kingdom, he gave no indication of it. He stared at Kagome, who tried her very hardest to look royal and smile. 

_You are a princess_ , she kept telling herself, _Come on. You are beautiful. And one of the most powerful princesses in the system adores you. Don’t let this old geezer intimidate you._

Setsuna continued, “She has a keen sense of wit-”

“So I see,” the king commented dryly, “if she has the ability to make my daughter laugh. It’s been a long time coming. Thank you, Kagome, for getting her to live for once.” He smiled at her, and Kagome got the distinct impression that Chronos was a lot kinder than he pretended to be. 

Kagome nearly fell over in shock, “You’re welcome, Your Majesty!” 

“And Father,” Setsuna continued, “Princess Kagome has also proven to me that there are many things in common between all inhabitants of the galaxy, including ones so distant as the Sun Kingdom and the Kingdom of Pluto.” 

_Is she trying to help me?_ Kagome wondered. Setsuna seemed to know a lot more than she let on. 

“Judging by your dress, Princess, one of those things is a key grasp of history,” King Chronos said approvingly, “an excellent and oft-forgotten quality for a young royal to have. Tell me, Princess, would you indulge me and tell me of your love for history?” He offered her his arm, intending to escort her to the Plutonian royal table. 

Kagome gulped. She did love history- it was one of the few school subjects she did -but her knowledge of history probably was little in comparison to that of the King of the Time Planet. The Plutonian royals had supposedly traversed the eras, and King Chronos was probably much better acquainted with the actual events in history that Kagome could only hope to know a fraction about through her readings. Still, this was an incredible opportunity...

  
 _Come on, Kagome!_ she ordered herself, _You have a real chance here! You could be helping the people of the your planet! Think of what you could do!_

Allowing herself to be led to the table, Kagome offered the king a smile, “I would be honored to, Your Majesty.”

* * *

  
Kagome hardly noticed as an hour flew by in a blur. The king was an eloquent conversationalist, and history was his own personal favorite topic. During the course of their conversation- which spanned a variety of topics, including the beginning of the universe, the settlement of the Sol System, the establishment of the sailor senshi and the royal families (though Kagome noted Chronos glossed over the exile of the demon royals) and the Golden Millennium, Kagome discovered that the rumors about the Pluto royals traversing time were true. 

However, instead of the king using his personal experience in the past to dominate the conversation, he seemed intrigued by Kagome’s views on the subject and encouraged her to speak. When she eventually got up the courage to ask him why he- surely an expert on time -was so curious about her own meager studies, the king laughed and replied: 

“When one is so used to traveling through history, it becomes like one’s life. I no longer see history; it is as if I have lived it and because of that, I have lost any unique perspectives on it. Thus, it interests me to hear others’ views because then I learn new ways to look at, and perhaps better understand, both my experiences and the experiences of mankind.” 

“Oh,” Kagome said, feeling foolish for asking. 

The king, noting his discomfort, hazarded another topic, “Princess Kagome, you have proven many of my perceptions about Solarians to be incorrect and very biased. First, I would like to apologize for allowing the actions of one to dictate my opinions on your people and your star.” 

Kagome nodded, entirely unsure how to respond to a king’s apology. She was only a princess of the Sun- and only one of fifty-two. And the Sun Kingdom had never before heard such an apology from the royals of the Sol System Federation, never mind the Plutonian Royal Family, whose royal family was one of the most powerful in the system, aside from the Moon’s. She felt out of place and slightly awed that this man was admitting he was biased. She was also confused by his words. 

“Thank you, Your Majesty,” she said uncertainly, “but...the actions of one? Whom do you speak of?” 

The king’s face darkened, “I am afraid I am forbidden to speak of it. However, it is not a topic I wish to discuss anyway. Instead, I would like you to tell your father that I would like to reconsider a possible alliance with him.” 

All at once, the discussion of the mysterious person who had made King Chronos an enemy of her planet fled Kagome’s mind. She was ecstatic. 

_An alliance! she thought wildly, For years, Father has been talking about how such a bond would benefit the Sun! And to think that I did in an hour what he’s been trying to do for five years!_ giddily, she continued, _I can’t wait to tell him!_

To King Chronos Kagome said, “Of course! I will be happy to! Thank you, Your Majesty.”

“You are welcome, Kagome. And thank you for proving me wrong. I promise that I will work to reverse the bias against your people in the Federation,” the king smiled, then said, “Now, go dance. I believe you’ve kept an old man company long enough! Surely there must be some handsome young men waiting to dance with you.” 

_Not likely_ , Kagome thought. 

“Thank you again, Your Majesty,” Kagome said aloud.   
  


* * *

Some time later, Kagome regrouped with the various other Inner princesses. She told them about her chat with King Chronos, and they were just as shocked as she was.

“The actions of one?” Rei said, puzzled, “I can’t imagine who he’s talking about. I don’t recall anything...I mean, yes, the Sun Kingdom is a bit strange by our standards, but not so strange as for us to loathe it.” 

Kagome blushed. She hated to be reminded of why she was different from the other princesses. They were the stars of their planets, unchallenged, universally adored by their respective peoples. They were considered some of the most eligible young women in the galaxy. Ten princesses of ten planets, one the capital of the galaxy itself. Each betrothed, or choosing between dozens of prospective suitors. Who would be the most politically beneficial? Who was the most handsome? The princesses- with their parents’ permission -had their pick of men. Kagome, however, was only one of fifty-two princesses. She was not that important, not really. Strictly speaking, she was number forty-seven. Her title, in Solarian, meant, “Princess of the Sands.” It was a far cry from the highest title her eldest sister, Narchesa, possessed: “Princess of Princesses, the Lady Most Royal, the most beautiful of Orchids.” 

Kagome was not important, not at all. Though she knew her father loved her, he could not focus on her nearly as much as the kings of the other planets did their children. Her siblings were too many. Fifty-two princesses, thirty-five sons. 

And, of course, her father had seven wives and forty concubines. 

The tradition of having a harem dated back to the earliest days of the Sun Kingdom. When the first king rose to power, Kagome’s distant ancestor, Alkarion, had needed to solidify his reign. Alkarion had only taken power because the Sun Kingdom had originally been composed of various sovereign states. He had conquered each of them, and created a planetary kingdom for himself. The people of each country, of course, had not been happy. As a gesture of goodwill- and a bribery to keep them under control -Alkarion had married the princesses of the seven most powerful countries and made the other forty princesses his concubines. Now, of course, the Sun Kingdom had been unified for nearly a thousand years, and the different countries had long since stopped identifying themselves as such. 

Nevertheless, the Sun King married seven women and took forty concubines in the tradition of Alkarion. It was an accepted practice. In fact, many other men imitated the king. Nobility were legally allowed five wives and twenty concubines while commoners were allowed three wives and five concubines. 

Of course, such a vast amount of women resulted in a vast amount of children. Thus, for Kagome to be one of eighty-seven royal children was not very special. Only the very eldest, or the children of the seven wives, were even considered near the par of the other royal children in the galaxy. Kagome’s mother had been the Sun King’s thirtieth concubine, but she’d died not long after Kagome’s birth. Her father had quickly taken another concubine in order to restore the traditional number. Kagome, however, never knew her mother, and the new concubine, Lady Drillona, had not taken any interest in replacing her. 

Despite the historical basis for polygamy on her planet, the other planets had never known such a thing and regarded it- and by extension, the Sun Kingdom -as barbaric. The fact the kingdom had declined to join the Federation further convinced them of the kingdom’s backward ways. 

Still, Kagome did not want to be seen as backward, especially not tonight. Not in the company of these beautiful, illustrious princesses. She wanted them to be her friends. She didn’t want them to look down on her. She didn’t want anyone to look down on her, not ever again. 

Just then, the butler’s voice rang out again, “Presenting: Her Majesty, Equinity, Queen Regent of Earth, His Highness, Prince Endymion of Earth, and their lords, Kunzite, Nephrite, Zoisite, and Jedite of the Shitennou States.” 

At this, Serenity and the four princesses immediately stopped talking about King Chronos. Their eyes, as one, focused on the entryway of the ballroom. A smiling woman who wore a circlet around her brow- unlike all the other queens in the room, who sported tiaras or crowns -with black hair and blue eyes walked on on the arm of a young man who could only be her son. He shared her features, but he was absolutely dashing in his Earthan formal wear. Serenity stared at him in utter adoration, and the prince’s eyes met hers in a soft smile.

Kagome suddenly recalled the rumors the other princesses' had whispered to her of Serenity’s forbidden Earthan lover, and realized with a start that this must be him. But still, she'd thought there had been a snag in the way-

“Isn’t Serenity betrothed?” Kagome whispered to Minako, but the Venusian princess did not answer her. She stared at the general with long, flowing white hair and stormy gray eyes. 

Vaguely, she asked Kagome, “I didn’t know Earthans could be so handsome, did you?” Kagome rolled her eyes. She never entirely understood why the Sol System Federation planets looked down on certain civilizations, but they had had a special dislike of Earthans, supposedly because they were not as evolved as citizens of other planets. Was it only two days ago that Minako herself had been making fun of them? Abruptly, Kagome remembered that they had never met Earthans. For the royals to be at the ball, let alone in the Moon Kingdom, was unprecedented. 

Once their entrance was over, Equinity went to talk to Queen Serenity, who smiled at her and thanked her for coming. Noting the four lords, Serenity’s brow furrowed. She asked: 

“Why the extra security, Equinity? Don’t you trust us?”

Equinity’s smile turned sad, “Of course I trust you, Serenity. You’ve been very kind to us, helping us with medicine and fighting rogue demons. However, I’m afraid to say there have been recent rebellions and attacks on Earth. It’s no longer safe for my son to travel alone. Thus, the lords Kunzite, Nephrite, Zoisite, and Jedite, and also his four best friends, have volunteered to become his guards,” Equinity swallowed, “Our ship was attacked and vandalized on the way here,” here the queen whispered, “Forgive me for being rude- but I have reason to suspect some of the other planetary royals may not be happy about our presence here. The slurs written on the ship would indicate that, anyway.” 

Queen Serenity looked troubled, but she said, “Of course. We’ll look into it.” 

Meanwhile, Endymion and his four lords made their way over to Serenity and the princesses.

“Serenity,” Endymion said her name like a caress. Serenity looked as though she wanted to run into his arms, but restrained herself. Endymion greeted the others:

“Hello, ladies,” after the princesses murmured their hellos, Endymion added, “May I introduce my generals and my best friends: Lord Kunzite, Lord Nephrite, Lord Zoisite, and Lord Jedite of the Shitennou States.” The generals bowed, then turned to gaze up at the princesses. The princesses looked both stunned and delighted at the handsome Earthans. As Endymion led Serenity to dance, each general, one by one, approached a princess. 

Lord Kunzite, the one whom Minako had noticed, walked to her and kissed her hand, “Princess, may I have the honor of this dance?”

Minako started, “How did you know I was a princess?”

Kunzite smiled, “You’re so beautiful, how could you not be?” Utterly in shock, Minako allowed Kunzite to lead her to the dance floor. 

“Actually,” the general with the short blonde hair said, “we all are the prince’s guards. Therefore, we know all about Princess Serenity, and of course, her own friends. Kunzite is just a very smooth talker.” 

“And you aren’t?” the brunette general raised his eyebrow, clearly skeptical. 

The blond shrugged and smirked, “I’m honest. I don’t need to persuade a girl with flattery. If she’s beautiful, I’ll tell her. If she’s good at dancing, I’ll tell her,” his eyes flicked to Rei, “And Princess Rei, you are gorgeous. I’ve heard you’re a good dancer, too. Care to show me whether the rumors are true?” he offered her his arm. 

Rei looked down at him, then crossed her arms, “Who are you again? Aside from arrogant.”

“Lord Jedite,” the general said, then promptly took Rei’s hand and walked her to the dance floor, “And don’t act like you don’t like a bit of witty repartee. Or that you don’t think I’m handsome,” he whispered, “I doubt my powers equal yours, but I am not unskilled at the psychic area.” At that, Rei blushed, but she did not deny his words. 

Makoto commented dryly, “Apparently Rei has a thing for guys ordering her around.” 

“If that’s the case,” the brunette general said, “she and Jedite will get along splendidly. He loves a good argument.” 

Makoto gazed back at the new general, “Is this the part where you ask me to dance, Lord...?”

“Nephrite,” the general supplied, “And I’m afraid not, Your Highness.” Makoto looked crestfallen, and Nephrite quickly added, “Not because I wouldn’t like to! It’s just...I’m afraid...I’m not a very good dancer. I’d only embarrass myself. I wanted to impress you and appear to be cultured. To be honest, I was planning on sitting this number out and surprising you after with a glass of champagne and one of the delicious h’ors d’ourves everyone is raving so much about.” 

Makoto’s eyes brightened, “I made those! At least some of them...I gave the recipe to the staff. I couldn’t make all of them, there are too many guests-” 

“You made them?” Lord Nephrite’s eyes widened, “I wouldn’t think a princess would have to cook for a ball!” 

Makoto giggled, “I don’t have to, but I like to cook. I’m a bit of an amateur chef. I’m glad you like my recipe,” she smiled, then said quietly, “If it helps, I’m not a very good dancer either. But I’d really like to dance with you.” 

“You won’t be embarrassed by me?”

“Not at all. I promise.” 

“Then whatever my princess commands,” Lord Nephrite said, and gallantly swept Makoto a bow before departing for the dance floor with her. 

Finally, the last general- he could only be Lord Zoisite -looked at Ami, “I’m not as eloquent as Kunzite, or as flirtatious as Jedite, or as chivalrous as Nephrite. I can’t promise to be as interesting a partner. However, I understand that you’ve studied all types of water, Princess Ami. I have always been interested in the sciences, but my work as a general prevents me from actively participating them. Your intelligence is renowned, and I would love the chance to talk with you about your studies.” 

Ami appraised Lord Zoisite for a moment. At last, she said: “Lord Zoisite, I think I like you best of all anyway. And I’d be happy to talk with you- while we dance. I know people talk about my love of learning, but does anyone mention my love of dancing?” 

Zoisite smiled, “No, they have not. Neither have they mentioned your own beauty.” The pair walked off to the dance floor. 

By this time, the five couples had been joined by many others in the room. Nevertheless, Kagome could only look at the princesses and their- well, at least they looked like it -lovers. Or would-be lovers. Endymion and Serenity were the picture of true love. Kunzite and Minako were in their own world, and while Rei and Jedite had been bantering back and forth non-stop, each of them was flushing and smiling happily. Nephrite and Makoto were doing the simplest version of the dance they could, and they were laughing and giggling at their attempts. Zoisite and Ami were engaged in serious conversation as they slowly twirled around and around. 

Kagome was left alone. She sighed and started to turn to go try some of Makoto’s h’ors d’ourves, but instead ran into a hard chest instead. She looked up into the face of Lord Sesshomaru. 

“My lord! I’m so sorry-” Kagome began, surprised and embarrassed. 

“You seem to have a habit of doing that, do you not?” Lord Sesshomaru said. 

“Doing what?” Kagome queried, utterly confused. 

Sesshomaru remarked dryly, “Walking into my chest.” 

Kagome blushed furiously, then snapped, “It’s not as if I mean to! You shouldn’t be popping up behind me all the time!”

“Last time, as I recall, I was in front of you,” Sesshomaru said, “and I did not think you would be so angry at someone who was going to ask you to dance.” 

Kagome’s mouth dropped open, “Ex-excuse me?” She smoothed her dress, unconsciously. 

The demon lord turned his eyes away from her. He seemed impassive. 

“Forgive me,” he said quietly, “I had no wish to offend you.” He began to walk away when Kagome ran towards him, then grasped his hand. 

“Wait, Sesshomaru! My lord!”

He stopped mid stride, then turned, stared at her hand, then up at her. She knew what he was thinking- she remembered Serenity’s comment the day before-

“ _I’d never touch a demon_ ,” _the princess had declared, “especially Lord Sesshomaru. Not with all the blood he has on his hands.”_

_“Blood?” Kagome had asked, slightly queasy._

_“Well, he did try to fight before he fled the Moon Kingdom with his mother. Even as a child, he killed nearly a dozen people. Even more proof he’s a monster._ ”

Kagome shook her head, clearing herself of these thoughts. Instead, she focused on Sesshomaru. 

“Your Highness?” he said finally. Kagome noticed he did not pull away from her. 

“I’ll dance with you,” she said quickly. 

“I beg your pardon?” 

“I’ll dance with you!” her words seemed to echo around the ballroom, and were thundering loud in her ears, but no one turned to look at her. She felt color rise to her cheeks, and felt even more embarrassed than before. Yet Lord Sesshomaru did not make fun of her. 

Instead, he straightened up, then effortlessly led her immediately into the waltz. Sesshomaru went through the steps gracefully and without fault. His movements were almost otherworldly. 

Kagome was marveling over his skill- he put every other lord in the room to shame -before she remembered, _He’s a prince. He may go by lord, but he’s still a prince. He’s been a prince. A prince of the Golden Millennium! **Of course** he knows how to waltz._

She found herself being drawn into his golden eyes. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t look away. Sesshomaru stared back at her. Neither of them spoke, but Kagome felt like they’d shared something anyway. She was surprised by the intensity of her feelings, and when the dance was over, she sheepishly murmured a thank you, then rushed to join her friends. 

Serenity was gloating, “Didn’t I tell you Earthan boys were cute!?!?” She was practically overflowing with pride. The other princesses agreed, and they were too enamored of the Earthan lords to berate Serenity for her cockiness. 

“Did Lord Nephrite tell you they were generals?” Minako said to Makoto, practically swooning, “Some of the most important generals on Earth!”

“ _The_ most important,” Rei cut in, then smirked, “Jedite’s not too bad at strategy, for an Earthan. He says he’ll give me lessons.” 

“Lessons?” Ami said with raised eyebrows. 

“Oh please!” Rei scoffed, “Like you didn’t imagine Lord Zoisite as a handsome professor!” Ami blushed, but said nothing. 

“Anyway,” Minako said dreamily, “Kunzite was telling me all about the campaigns he’s been on-” She went off on a long tangent about the virtues of white-haired general, until Kagome cleared her throat. 

The other princesses looked at Kagome expectantly. 

“Did none of you see who I danced with?” she asked.

Rei said, “You don’t mean?” at Kagome’s grin, she gasped, “You _**did**_?”

“Yes,” Kagome nodded, “You know, he’s an excellent dancer.” 

Serenity’s eyes darkened. “Well, demons are unnaturally graceful.”

Before Kagome even had the chance to react to her comment, the butler rapped his staff again. This time, when he made his announcement, he sounded surprised: 

“Presenting: Her Imperial Highness, Grand Princess Kikyo Kikyuri of the Andromeda Galaxy, Princess Imperial of the Andromeda Empire, accompanied by Lord Inuyasha, Captain of the Princess’ Guard.” 

At this, everyone in the room stopped talking. Their eyes went to the stairs, where an impossibly beautiful girl stood at the top of the staircase. She was clothed in a gown of darkest black, studded with amethysts in a pattern to match the night sky. Diamonds dotted the gown, into increasing numbers before almost completely covering the bottom of her gown. A choker of diamonds was wrapped around her throat. She wore no mask. 

“Princess Kikyo,” Queen Serenity said finally, “What an unexpected pleasure. Welcome to the Moon Kingdom.” As Kikyo descended the stairs, she stood before Queen Serenity and kissed her on both cheeks. 

“Thank you,” Kikyo said, her voice melodic and regal all at once, “I am so sorry for not warning you in advance. However, we were returning from a meeting in Omega Centauri, and we could not pass your kingdom by without paying respects to Princess Serenity on her birthday.” 

“It’s your birthday!?” Kagome whispered, stunned. _Oh Apollo, how could I have made a bigger fool of myself?_ Serenity’s birthday was a planetary holiday in the Moon Kingdom. 

“Well, yes, technically. But nothing’s supposed to happen for another week!” Serenity replied, equally surprised, “Mother told me we wouldn’t be celebrating it until then!” 

“Well,” Makoto sighed in resignation, “There goes the surprise party.” 

“This was a surprise party!?!?” Serenity squealed. Her cheeks flushed in delight and wonderment. She clapped her hands together like a child. 

“Well, it was,” Rei said, “Until Kikyo let that detail slip. I wonder why she’s here.” 

“Of course the Andromedan royals would have merited an invitation,” Ami said sensibly, “It’s just no one expected them to come, given the vast distance.” 

“Looks like they came,” Minako commented. Kikyo herself, apparently finished with talking to Queen Serenity, walked over to the princesses. 

“Serenity,” she said. Kagome noted that the princess, though not unfriendly, was not overly filled with warmth for the Moon Princess.

“Princess,” Serenity said. She looked as if she wasn’t quite sure what to do with the Andromedan royal. 

Abruptly, Kagome heard a voice suspiciously like Lady Crotchford’s screech and whisper at the same time, “Curtsy, ladies! Curtsy! Imperial curtsies!” 

At once, the Inner planetary princesses sunk into curtsies. Even Serenity inclined her head. Kagome, thoroughly unnerved and confused, followed their lead, as did the rest of the ballroom, who sunk into deep bows. 

“Oh, please!” Kikyo said, seemingly embarrassed and gracious all at once, “That is unnecessary. Besides,” she said, “it is your birthday. Everyone should be showing deference to you, including me. As such, I would like to present you with a gift. Inuyasha, if you please,” Kikyo called over her shoulder. Her guard stepped out of the shadows. Like his charge, he was dressed all in black. However, his robes resembled Sesshomaru’s in their foreign texture, and like him, he bore a sword. Even more like him, his hair was long and white, and flowed down his back. Kagome gasped when she saw the ears atop his head. 

Still, she paid attention to the black box, also edged in diamonds, that Kikyo took from Inuyasha and offered to Serenity. Serenity took the proffered gift with trepidation and excitement. 

“Princess Serenity of the Moon Kingdom, capital of the Empire of Galaxy of Lactea,” Kikyo said formally, “Upon the occasion of your birthday, and your reaching the age of majority, it is my duty and my pleasure as the Grand Princess of the Galaxy of Andromeda to present you with your birthright.” She gestured to the box and nodded.

Serenity eagerly opened it, then gasped. Inside was a beautiful crystal, cut to resemble a flower. Its facets shone and sparkled in the light of the ballroom, and it seemed to glow with unearthly power. 

“This is cut from the Holy Moon Crystal in the center of your kingdom,” Kikyo explained, “just as your mother’s, and her mother’s before her, were. On the occasion of their majority, each received their crystals and their magic was released. Princess Serenity, what shall you name your crystal?”

Kagome could barely believe what she was seeing. This was an incredible ceremony. The Andromeda Galaxy was home to the most powerful crystals in the universe, and as such, the imperial family was responsible for protecting and preserving them. In addition, they also gave a crystal to the heirs of other royal and imperial families once they were adults that released their powers. Idly, and a bit jealously, Kagome wondered if Narchesa had already received a crystal from her. 

Serenity, in awe, picked up the crystal, “I shall call it Ginzuishou,” she proclaimed, “‘Silver Crystal,’ as my mother has hers.” The elder Serenity smiled in pride and gratitude at her daughter. 

“Very well,” Kikyo said, “Then by the authority of the galaxy of the Andromeda, I present Ginzuishou, Silver Crystal, to its new mistress. May it serve you wisely and well, princess. May you also understand the duty placed upon you by it.” 

“Of course,” Serenity said, “I will serve my people. I understand my place as a senshi.”

Kikyo nodded, “Then Silver Crystal: I command you to release the powers of Princess Serenity!” At once, the crystal flared brightly, blinding everyone in the room. When the flash cleared, Serenity held a beautiful locket in her hands, and her moon insignia glowed brightly. 

“People of the Moon, and of the Sol System,” Kikyo said grandly, “May I present to you the new Sailor Moon, champion of justice, defender of the Moon Kingdom, and soldier of love.” 

Everyone in the ballroom burst into cheers and applause. Serenity was too ecstatic to do anything more than clutch the locket to her chest. 

“Princesses,” Kikyo said after the applause had died down, “It is also my duty to present you, as guardians of the Sol System and the Moon Princess, with your own crystals. You have already reached your ages of majority. I promise, your patience will be rewarded.” She waved a hand, and gorgeously adorned boxes appeared in the other princesses’ hands. Each oohed and aahed and opened her own box to reveal a sparkling crystal cut from the stones of their own planets. They named theirs simply, after their planets, perhaps too overwhelmed to think of anything else. Once Kikyo had introduced them as the new Sailor Senshi, the applause was deafening. The princesses themselves were utterly thrilled, and joined together in a circle, jumping up and down. 

Once again, Kagome was left alone. She would never understand their happiness. She would never receive her own crystal. All at once, she was reminded how different she was from them. 

Kikyo noticed her, and walked over to hear pensively, “I do not know you,” she said slowly, “but I sense you are a princess. Who are you? Why do I have no stone for you? You are not younger than the rest.”

Kagome sighed, then said, “I am Kagome Kiori, Princess of Sands, forty-seventh daughter of the Sun.” She was painfully aware of her inferior status, and it made her bitter. 

“Ah,” Kikyo’s eyes widened, “A princess of the Sun Kingdom. I presented the Solar Crystal to your sister, Narchesa, years ago.” Kikyo seemed honest, and Kagome realized she was trying to make conversation. 

“Yes, well,” Kagome said slowly, “I’m not sure she’s used it very much.” In fact, she couldn’t remember Narchesa ever turning into Sailor Sun. Narchesa spent most of her time searching for potential grooms. 

Kikyo smiled, “Stars willing, she will have no need to.” 

Kagome swallowed, then asked, “If there’s no need to, why require training as Sailor Senshi anyway?” She hated how jealous she sounded. It made her feel even more inferior. The other princesses hadn’t yet noticed her and Kikyo. They were too excited about their crystals and lockets. 

Kikyo said simply, “Because it is better to be safe. Also, the magic of mixed blood must be contained somehow. Were it left untrained and uncontrolled, princesses could be a danger to their own lands. It is better that they be trained as senshi and fulfill their duty to their kingdoms, just as it is better for planetary princes to contain their powers and serve their planets as knights,” she frowned, “Has no one trained Narchesa?”

“A little bit, I’m sure,” Kagome replied, “but I don’t know the specifics. Narchesa’s twenty five and searching for a husband. I’m only seventeen. We don’t have much in common.” 

Their awkward conversation was interrupted by the arrival of Lord Sesshomaru.

“Sesshomaru,” Kikyo greeted him, sounding surprised. Kagome was interested to note that she didn’t seem very affectionate with him. Sesshomaru, for his part, bowed and kissed her on the cheek:

“My lady.” Neither of them acted very familiar or seemed excited to see one another. In fact, they kept their distance, and aside from their initial hellos, did not touch one another. 

Lord Inuyasha, the princess’ guard, came to her side. He casually let his hand rest near his sword, but the gesture wasn’t lost on Kagome:

“Hello, brother.” 

Kagome, despite all Lady Crotchford’s attempts to teach her to be discreet, could not help letting her mouth drop open.

_Brothers? Sesshomaru and Inuyasha? **Two** princes of the Golden Millennium!? _

Yet Kagome, thoroughly confused, could not remember a second prince. There was only Sesshomaru. Even King Chronos had not mentioned another lunar royal. 

“Halfling,” Sesshomaru said. His voice was sharp and his eyes were narrowed. The gold eyes that had so recently been focused tenderly on Kagome were now cold with anger. 

“I thought you would be better behaved, big brother, especially here. You’re not being a good example to me,” Inuyasha smirked. 

“This is not your home; it never was, so cease acting as if you belong here,” Sesshomaru growled. 

Kikyo stepped in between them, “Gentlemen,” she said quietly, “Remember where you are. Remember those around you. Please.” She gently pulled Inuyasha away from Sesshomaru. Sesshomaru’s eyes flicked to Kagome, then away, and he blushed, seemingly embarrassed. 

Inuyasha muttered, “I don’t really care, to be honest.”

Kikyo murmured, “Inuyasha...” and took his arm. She stared at him imploringly. At her gaze, Inuyasha’s eyes softened and he swallowed before saying, “Very well. Goodbye, brother. It was wonderful to see you.” 

Sesshomaru replied darkly, “And you.” 

At that, Kikyo half-dragged Inuyasha away. Before she left, she turned around and smiled at Kagome: 

“It was nice to meet you, Kagome,” abruptly, her smile dissolved and turned a little sad, “Goodnight, Sesshomaru.” 


	5. An Unexpected Loss

The next day, Kagome returned to the Sun Kingdom. She hadn’t had a chance to tell the princesses about the weird exchange between Sesshomaru, Inuyasha, and Kikyo. The second the ball ended, Queen Serenity had pulled her aside and told her that an urgent message had been sent by her father calling for her to return to the Sun Kingdom as soon as possible. The queen had persuaded her father to let Kagome at least sleep in the Moon Kingdom, but first thing the next morning, she’d been sent to the teleportation room and went home.

Almost immediately, she’d been assailed by the heat. It was nearly thirty degrees higher than the Moon Kingdom, almost a sweltering 100 degrees Fahrenheit. She’d forgotten how hot it was, and she loathed herself for giving her summer gown to the Moon Kingdom staff to wash instead of wearing it home. 

When she arrived, Isuki was waiting for her. Kagome asked:

“What’s the big emergency, Isuki? I’m exhausted from the ball last night! So much happened...I just want to go to bed!” She idly wiped the sweat from her brow. 

The maid curtsied and said apologetically, “I’m sorry, my lady, but it is my duty to inform you that Queen Kedira is dead.” 

Kagome’s mouth dropped open. Kedira wasn’t her mother, but she was relatively young. She appeared to be about forty-five years old, and her true age was 300, just a few years older than Queen Serenity. No one had expected her to die for at least another 300 years. It was unheard for anyone to die so young on highly evolved planets. 

“But...how?” Kagome finally asked. She was in utter disbelief. 

Isuki raised her eyes to her mistress, “No one knows, my lady,” here she whispered and leaned forward, “but almost everyone agrees the causes were not natural. She was not ill, nor was she old, nor was there poison. She simply went to sleep two days ago and was dead the next day. She never woke up. There are rumors flying everywhere. Some people say her heart was stolen; some say psychics killed her. But the palace doctors are baffled. They say it was as if someone simply drained her life force. They can’t find any explanation.” 

“So...they think someone murdered her?” 

Isuki nodded, “Yes, my lady.” Kagome gasped. Isuki leaned forward and hushed her:

“But you musn’t speak of it. Anyone who speaks of rumors has been put on a list to be interviewed as a suspect and potential traitor.” 

Kagome blinked, “But Isuki...if that’s the case, how do you know all of this?”

The maid replied with a small smile, “I’m a servant, my lady. We hear _everything_.”

* * *

  
  
When Kagome had returned to the chambers she shared with her sisters, she found both Tali and Kagura in tears, and little Risuyo trying to comfort them both as best she knew how. The three looked up at Kagome as she walked in. Kagome stared at her sisters’ tear-streaked faces, then said softly: 

“I’m so sorry.” 

At that, the princesses broke into a fresh round of crying. Risuyo looked desperately from them to Kagome, then ran towards Kagome.

“Kagome, I don’t know what to do!” the little girl said plaintively, “I’m trying to make them feel better...I am!” She gazed up at Kagome, begging to be forgiven for something she didn’t even do. 

Sighing, Kagome picked up her younger sister, “Risuyo, I know. I know.” She picked up the child and carried her out of the chamber, their older sisters’ wails ringing in their ears. 

* * *

The funeral took place the next day. All of the royal children were gathered outside the cathedral. The king’s other six wives sat next to him, and the concubines sat behind the princes and princesses. Each kept their eyes fixed on the golden casket containing the utterly still body of Queen Kedira. From this distance, Kagome thought she only looked as if she were sleeping. 

However, the grim reality was that she was dead, and the whole kingdom was desperate to find out what had killed her. Kagome knew that her father privately suspected his queen had been murdered, but she could tell he was in no condition to investigate the matter further. His eyes were red-rimmed as he looked upon the casket occupying the center aisle, and though his other wives tried to comfort him, he was beyond their reach. 

To the surprise of many of the citizens of the Sun Kingdom, members of the Silver Millennium Alliance and the Sol System Federation had sent gifts and condolences to the royal family. Most prominent among these was a beautiful tomb, carved from Solarian crystal. The entire thing had been flown in on an Andromedan Imperial starship. People were stunned at the craftsmanship that had gone into the priceless treasure, and even more stunned that the illustrious empire had taken notice of them. Kagome couldn’t help but wonder if the gift had arrived because of her meeting with Kikyo. 

Other gifts had arrived from each of the planets. Uranus had offered a beautiful statue carved in the shape of the queen. Neptune had sent a sonata composed in her honor by its young princess, Michiru. Jupiter had sent a carriage-ful of gourmet food and treats for the royal family, no doubt prepped by Makoto. Mars had given them prayer sheets blessed by their princess to be used in the funeral rites for Queen Kedira. Venus had offered a portrait of the king and queen, with the inscription, “In Love Eternal.” Mercury had sent a newly written book on the queen’s life. The author was none other than Princess Ami. 

However, the most important and intriguing gifts came from the royal families of Pluto, Saturn, and the Moon Kingdom. Royal representatives from each planet were present at the funeral today: King Chronos and Princess Setsuna, Queen Demetria and Princess Hotaru, and Queen Serenity and Princess Serenity. The Saturn royals had arrived as they were the planetary representative of death, and they had come to offer their blessings and safe passage to the afterlife to the deceased queen. Kagome was touched by the appearance of the Plutonian royals. They had traveled a vast distance to be in her kingdom, and for King Chronos himself to be present...it was a great honor. Kagome was also deeply grateful for Serenity and her mother. They didn’t have to come, but they had. Serenity had hugged Kagome before the service and offered her condolences to Kagome’s many siblings: 

“If you need anything, just let me know,” she’d promised Kagome fervently, her bright blue eyes brimming with sympathy. The queen had embraced Savitr, and to the shock of many, the king had shed a few tears in her arms.

  
The greatest gift of all, Kagome thought, was their presence. That was the most wonderful thing anyone could have offered. And though Kedira wasn’t her mother, the whole family had been affected by her loss. Fifteen of her brothers and sisters, including Narchesa herself, had lost their mother, and they were devastated. Kagome herself had shed a tear or two. Most of her father’s wives and concubines had never noticed her, but Kedira always remembered who Kagome was and had a kind word ready for her. She was the closest thing to a mother Kagome had ever known.   


* * *

“In light of the circumstances surrounding the death of Queen Kedira of the Sun Kingdom, it is my solemn duty to inform you that your senshi training will commence immediately. The queens of the planets are already practicing once again; however, you must be also trained in their places. There may be a time when you are called upon to defend your kingdoms, and two warriors are far more beneficial than one,” Queen Serenity addressed the princesses as one from upon her diamond throne. 

The throne room was made of pure white marble, with crystal pillars reaching toward the ceiling, upon which was a mosaic of painted stars. It was this mosaic that Kagome found herself staring at. She couldn’t bring herself to pay much attention this meeting. Aside from the fact it brought up the terrible tragedy that had so recently encompassed her own home, it made her feel like even more of an outcast. She wasn’t a senshi. All the princesses in this room were, except her. She had no reason to be there, except for the fact that she was the “official representative of the Sun Kingdom” present to bear witness to the queen’s announcement. Even though her position was technically important, Kagome couldn’t help but feel at least part of the reason for her presence stemmed from Queen Serenity’s desire not to exclude her. 

The regal queen swept her gaze over the eleven princesses in the room. Her eyes lingered on Kagome, who immediately snapped to attention. For the first time, she could feel the extent of the power emanating from Queen Serenity, and it was incredible. It seemed that righteous anger had raised the dormant powers of the moon queen. 

“We- that is, the acting senshi of the planets of the Sol System, and the queens of the planets, with the exception of the current Sailor Pluto, who is guarding the Gates of Time -will commence a thorough investigation into the death of Queen Kedira. I will be frank with you, girls,” Queen Serenity sighed, “It is more than likely- in fact, we are almost sure of it -that Queen Kedira was murdered. Her death was most certainly not an accident.”

Some of the princesses gasped. Others gulped uncertainly. Princess Serenity herself only looked sad. She caught Kagome’s eye, and offered up a forlorn smile. Kagome wondered idly if the queen had already told Serenity all of this. 

“It is possible that we may be called away from our planets during the investigation. During this time, you will be the guardians of the planets. Thus, your training must commence without further ado, and it must be fast and rigorous. It will be harder than any other senshi has had to endure. I warn you in advance: it will not be easy. However, it is your duty, and I have no doubt you will rise to it.” 

“Of course, Your Majesty,” Haruka said. She was the only princess so far to speak during the meeting. At her words, the others nodded or said various phrases of affirmation. 

“As you may expect, this training will augment your academic studies. This means a change in schedule for you. Your academic and etiquette classes with Lady Crawford will now begin at eight in the morning and end at twelve. You will have an hour for lunch. At one, your senshi training will begin promptly. It will end at five. Let me take this opportunity to introduce your instructors,” Queen Serenity gestured behind her, “Count Artemis and Countess Luna of Mau.” 

At her words, a man and a woman appeared from behind the throne. They were impossibly beautiful and very graceful. The man was dressed all in white, and had long, flowing white hair and golden yellow eyes. The woman on his arm wore a short yellow dress with a sheer black petticoat and a yellow ribbon at her throat. Her long black hair flowed elegantly down her back, but part of her was twisted into two heart shaped odango, perhaps after the fashion of the Moon Family. Shockingly, both the count and countess sported gold moon insignias on their foreheads. 

All at once, Kagome realized what was so strange about the couple: 

_They’re demons!_ she thought, stunned, _But...how? They’ve been banished for hundreds of years!_

Kagome turned to Serenity, expecting the princess to show her usual disgust for demons. Instead, she smiled broadly and raced up to the countess. 

“Luna!” Serenity exclaimed, “I’m so happy to see you! And I know training will be fantastic with you teaching us!” The princess embraced the elder woman, who laughed indulgently. 

“Hello, Serenity. I’m happy to see you too, but did you really miss me all that much? I’ve only been gone for a month, and I didn’t even leave the system!” Luna returned Serenity’s hug, then smiled fondly at Serenity. The princess looked at her in utter adoration. 

“A month’s a very long time, Luna! And I know you didn’t go too far, but Mau is a couple light years away. It’s too far for teleportation...you’d have to use a starship. And even then it would take a whole day!”

Kagome ignored Serenity’s chatter. _Mau...she thought, I’ve heard that before. Where have I heard that?_

Watching Serenity talk excitedly with the countess, Kagome finally recalled an earlier conversation the girls had had. They’d been talking about Sesshomaru. It seemed like so long ago now: 

_“Demons aren’t permitted in the Moon Kingdom, save for those originally from Planet Mau. They’re the only truly non-savage ones, although Lord Sesshomaru does a fine job of keeping his true self in check. It’s stunning really, considering he has every right to go on a murder spree here...”_

Kagome’s recollections were interrupted by the queen clearing her throat. Obediently, the countess and Serenity stopped talking and gazed at the queen. 

“Both the count and countess are trusted advisors of mine. Each of their families have given long years of service to the Moon Kingdom in a variety of capacities...warriors, guardsmen, counselors...” Queen Serenity trailed off, “and accordingly, both Luna and Artemis have continued the tradition of their families and served me well. They deserve your utmost respect, and I am certain they will be excellent teachers.” Luna and Artemis smiled at the compliment. The pair inclined their heads to the queen. 

“Your Majesty, may I have permission to speak?” the count asked, his voice smooth and calm. His inflection was slightly lower than normal Lunarian speech, giving a hint at his foreign origin. 

At the queen’s nod, Artemis said: “Your Royal Highness, Your Highnesses, you have been called to serve this system in the tradition of your families before you, but in a new and unexpected fashion. Nevertheless, we will not go easy in you. If anything, your training will be even more in-depth. We have discussed the possibility of training you both with and without your respective guardians- those of you who have personal guardians, that is -and have decided that at first, it is in your own best interests to be trained without them. One never knows if you will be in the presence of guardians in a fight, and it is best not to rely on them. Therefore, those of you who have guardians should leave them at home come Monday.” 

“My lord, by guardians, do you mean-” began Rei. 

“Your personal bodyguards, Princess Mars. For you, that would be your cousins, Princess Hikari and Princess Kako, otherwise known as Sailor Phobos and Sailor Deimos. Princess Jupiter, that would be the majority of your extended family; any children of royal siblings of your parents that rule a moon of your planet. Likewise for Princesses Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. Princess Pluto, that would be your cousins Princess Kurai, Princess Jikan, and Prince Shinu, otherwise known as Sailor Charon, Sailor Hydra, and Nix Knight,” Luna interrupted. She seemed a bit disappointed that the princess had already not guessed this. Rei hurriedly turned away and flushed. 

Kagome felt bad for Rei. She hadn’t known certain senshi had guardians.

Artemis gave his wife a sharp look, as if to admonish her for being so hard on Rei, then said, “Your cousins, and various extended relations, will receive their own training,” he swallowed, then changed the subject, “By our estimation, it would be to your benefit to be divided into two subdivisions of the entire force. One will be the planets Mercury, Venus, Mars, and Jupiter. Another will be the planets Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto.”

“It is the count and countess’ belief that by fighting as smaller units, as well as a whole, you will gain a distinct advantage over any possible enemy. It gives you a more varied fighting style and a more appropriate option if separation becomes necessary in battle,” Queen Serenity said, “Admittedly, your mothers and I never did this, but we also were fortunate enough to never call upon our powers in an aggressive capacity.” 

_Does she honestly think that they’re going to need to fight?_ Kagome wondered. The other princesses seemed to be contemplating the very same thing. Their faces, which had been troubled anyway, had darkened to even more serious expressions. 

“If you are called upon to fight for your kingdoms, you will fight as a group unit at first. Remember that ultimately your mission is to protect not only your kingdoms, but the capital of the galaxy, and its princess. Therefore, she is to be guarded by all of you in equal measure, and at any cost,” Artemis’ eyes flicked to Serenity. The princess seemed embarrassed by his command. 

“I really don’t think that’s necessary, or fair,” she said quietly, “Everyone should fight to protect their homes and themselves. No one should sacrifice herself for me.” 

“And it is for this reason that you, princess, are not going to lead the Sailor Soldiers. You must remember that you are soldiers. You are fighting as a unit. You cannot afford to fight as every man- or woman -for herself. You must begin to think in that mindset, and as I know you, Serenity, I know that will be impossible for you to do on your own. You put your concern for others over that of yourself, and frankly, as the princess of the capital of this galaxy, your life is worth more than theirs. Since I know you will never accept that, you cannot lead the Sailor Soldiers,” Luna said seriously. 

Serenity’s mouth dropped open. She looked as if the countess had just slapped her in the face. Her bright blue eyes were wide with hurt and humiliation. Without a word, she ran from the room. 

“Serenity!” the queen called. When her daughter did not return, the queen grimaced. She quickly made her apologies, then followed after her. 

“Serenity!” the queen’s cries echoed in the halls. 

Artemis turned his gaze to the shocked princesses, “That kind of childish display is not acceptable. You are no longer children, ladies, and all of you- including Princess Serenity -must recognize that fact,” he swallowed, “However, as the princess has so clearly demonstrated our concerns with her leadership, I’m sure you will all understand why a leader will be appointed from among you. This leader will be the one who proves herself most worthy in her training. Once she is appointed, you will all follow her commands without question.” 

“In addition,” Luna cut in, “the two subdivisions will each have appointed leaders: the total leader will also command whichever team, Inner or Outer, she is a part of. Another leader will be chosen to lead the remaining team. Let me make it clear to you now, ladies, that this other leader is subordinate to the first leader. The second leader only commands her team when separation becomes necessary.” 

“Stars willing, nothing we have spoken of will occur,” Artemis said finally, “But I’m sure you all understand the tantamount virtues of being prepared,” he paused, then said, “We’ll see you on Monday, ladies. Bring your lockets.” 

With that, the pair walked out of the room.   
  



	6. Training

“Ooh, yummy!” Serenity squealed. She was eyeing the feast spread before them with delight. She pointed to each dish, and said cheerfully, “This is awesome! Who knew lunch for Sailor Soldiers could be so tasty? I mean, that’s my favorite, that’s my favorite, that’s my favorite-” 

Kagome watched her, half with jealousy, half with pity. Serenity was doing her very best to pretend that the other day’s meeting hadn’t bothered her, but Kagome could tell- indeed, they all could -that Serenity was still upset and embarrassed. Nevertheless, the other princesses tactfully ignored the tension in the room. Following Serenity’s lead, they talked of other things. 

“So, you all know that next week’s going to be very busy,” Rei grinned. 

“Yeah, we know, we know,” Makoto sighed, “You’re being presented to Martian society. We get it.” 

“Motoki can’t wait to see you, Rei,” Minako said of her younger brother, “You know he adores you.” 

Rei groaned, “Minako, don’t get me wrong. Your brother’s very nice, and I like him a lot. But I’ve known him since we were children. Since he was a baby, actually. It’s like they’re making me marry my own brother!” 

“Wait,” Kagome interjected, “You’re betrothed!?” swinging her head around to look at Minako, she added, “to your brother!?”

“Well, yeah,” Minako shrugged, “It’s been that way for a few years. My mom’s big on arranged marriages, and her dad wanted to cement an alliance with Venus. I guess the fact that we’re best friends,” she motioned to Rei, “isn’t good enough to indicate a future alliance. Plus since Mars is the only royal house without Venusian blood somewhere, they wanted fix that too. You know what they say: blood alliances mean more than paper ones!” 

“I think you mean ‘blood is thicker than water,’” Ami said quietly. The other girls laughed, even the Outer princesses, who were seated at another table. Artemis and Luna had decided the girls should have lunch separately, in order to foster a “team environment” among their subdivisions. The girls thought it was silly. 

Kagome, who technically belonged to neither group but was friendlier with the Inner princesses, had sat with them. Now, thoroughly confused, she asked:

“Wait, Venus has blood in _all_ the royal houses?” 

“Somewhere, yeah,” Minako shrugged again.

“Even the Outer planets?”

“Mmhmm. Each of those is a few generations back, but Venusian blood is there.”

“Even the Moon Kingdom!?”

At this, Minako looked surprised, “Of course. Venus and the Moon Kingdom share a lot of blood,” at Kagome’s incredulous stare, Minako added, “Serenity and I are cousins. Her dad is my mother’s younger brother.” 

“And her grandmother, Queen Cordiality of Venus, is my grandma too,” Serenity chimed in. 

Kagome felt both enlightened and confused all at once. The uncanny resemblance between Serenity and Minako was finally explained- their parents were siblings. However, on the same token, Kagome couldn’t remember seeing Serenity’s father...ever. Unsure of how she knew this, but well-aware that it wouldn’t be a safe topic to broach, Kagome kept her questions to herself. 

Instead, she settled for murmuring stupidly, “You two could be twins.” 

Serenity squealed in excitement, “Oh, Kagome! What a great idea! Minako, you and I should be twins! Just like Daddy and Aunty!” she whipped her head back towards the outer table, “Haruka! Haruka! You hear that? You and Amarion won’t be the only twins for long! Tell Amarion that you’ve got some competition!”

Haruka laughed. Eyes sparkling, she said, “Why don’t you tell him yourself? He’s just arrived, along with all the other knights.”   
The girls’ eyes widened. 

“The _knights_ are here!?” Ami exclaimed, in a rare moment of surprise. For once, it seemed she hadn’t known everything. 

“Of course,” Michiru dabbed at her lips daintily with a napkin, “Didn’t you know? The knights were summoned for training too. Just not with us.” “But if the knights are here...” Makoto started, with a glance at Rei, who had turned completely white. 

“Motoki’s here,” she whispered, then screeched, “Motoki’s here! Quick, hide me!” With that, she grabbed Kagome and dragged her out of the room. 

* * *

Out on the practice field (and to Rei's relief, without the knights), Luna and Artemis surveyed the princesses, each of whom bore a locket with her planet's crest in her hand.

“Now,” Artemis said, “You will transform. Each of you has a special phrase you must say in order to release the powers in your locket and transform into a Sailor Soldier. For Princess Serenity, that would be ‘Moon Prism Power, Make-Up!’ For the rest of you, it would be your planet’s name, followed by ‘Power, Make-Up!’” 

The princesses nodded, and each gripped her locket tightly. 

“On my mark,” Luna instructed them, “Transform!”

“MOON PRISM POWER, MAKE-UP!”  
“MERCURY POWER, MAKE-UP!”  
“VENUS POWER, MAKE-UP!”  
“MARS POWER, MAKE-UP!”  
“JUPITER POWER, MAKE-UP!”  
“SATURN POWER, MAKE-UP!”  
“URANUS POWER, MAKE-UP!”  
“NEPTUNE POWER, MAKE-UP!”  
“PLUTO POWER, MAKE-UP!”

Kagome watched from the sidelines, behind a fence (for her safety, Luna had told her, though Kagome got the distinct impression they simply wanted her out of the way) as the princesses transformed. Each had her own henshin sequence, featuring her planet’s colors, insignias, and a variety of sparkles. The display of bright colors was almost blinding, but Kagome forced herself to look. She knew she was torturing herself, but she couldn’t help but want to know what it was, exactly, that she was missing.

At last, the princesses descended as one from the air. They looked brighter in these forms, somehow; more magical. They almost glowed. Kagome couldn’t help but feel the energy in the air. 

More than ever, she wished she was one of them. 

“Very good,” Luna said appraisingly, “Your fuku suit you. Before we continue, some of you have hereditary talismans that have been passed down through your families for centuries,” she looked apologetically at the Inner Senshi, “I’m afraid that they belong to the princesses of the Outer planets. Their ancestors forged extra weapons which they deemed necessary for defense purposes before they were members of the Federation,” with that quick explanation, she began, “Sailor Saturn, step forward.” 

Sailor Saturn obliged. Unlike the other senshi- who looked thrilled to be there -Saturn looked sad and guilty, as if the uniform didn’t, or shouldn’t, fit her. Kagome wondered at it- Hotaru had seemed nice enough when they’d met -until she recalled Ami speaking of Hotaru’s dead sister: 

_“She was killed by demons. She transformed into Sailor Saturn- she was the oldest of us, you see, and already had been trained by her mother because Saturn’s post is so important. Then she died defending Hotaru’s life.”_

Kagome was filled with pity. Hotaru clearly felt she was taking over her elder sister’s role, and she didn’t want it. 

Luna gently presented a large staff with an enormous silver sickle on the end to Hotaru: 

“I’m sure you’re aware of what this is.” 

Sailor Saturn nodded, eyes full of tears. Perhaps for the benefit of the other Sailor Senshi, Luna stated: 

“This is the Silence Glaive. It can end an era and bring the birth of a new. It is a talisman for the Soldier of Destruction and Rebirth. You should use its greatest power only in gravest danger. When threats are less serious, you will know what other powers it wields, and which ones to use,” Luna added, as if an afterthought, “Your sister used it well. I have no doubt you’ll share her talent.” Sailor Saturn, trembling, picked up the glaive. Sailor Moon, breaking the tension between the senshi, left the side of the other Inner Senshi and embraced her. Sailor Saturn wrapped her arms around Sailor Moon. She clung to the princess for a few moments, then simply said: 

“Thank you, Serenity.” She swallowed her tears and stepped back into place. 

Sailor Moon smiled, “You’re welcome, Hotaru. We’re teammates, right? I couldn’t let a teammate- or more importantly, my friend -cry.” Sailor Saturn gave her a grateful smile. 

“Sailor Uranus,” Artemis said crisply, interrupting the tender moment. Haruka looked at the count expectantly. 

“Your planet does have a talisman: the Space Sword. However, it will be wielded by your brother as Uranus Knight.” Sailor Uranus’ eyes widened, then she clenched her fists. She took a deep breath:

“I can use a sword better than Amarion.” 

Luna gave her a sympathetic glance, “I’m sorry, Haruka. The decision wasn’t ours to make. Your father thought the sword would be more effective in the hands of your brother.” Haruka’s face turned bright red, and she looked as though she was about to shout at the count and countess when Michiru squeezed her hand: 

“It’s okay, Haruka,” she smiled. Sailor Uranus sighed, then was silent. Surreptitiously, she untangled her fingers from Michiru’s, but not before giving her a small smile. 

“Sailor Neptune, step forward,” Luna began, “This is a gift from your mother, Queen Tranquility.” She carefully handed a stunning hand mirror made of aqua crystal to a very surprised Michiru, who clearly had not thought she was going to receive anything. 

“But this is Mother’s mirror,” she said, incredulous, “She keeps it with her all the time-”

“I’m sure she does. The Aqua Mirror reveals the truth to its holder. It cannot lie, and in fact, it exposes many a lie told by others,” the countess explained, “I bet your mother had it during council meetings, when people petitioned her in her throne room, and when she was passing judgments, yes?” Michiru, mouth open in astonishment, cradled the mirror, then questioned: 

“So... what can it do in battle?”

“It will reveal the weaknesses of your enemy, and how you should strike to defeat them,” Luna told her. 

Artemis nodded, “A powerful resource indeed. Take care of it, Sailor Neptune. It is over seven hundred years old, and has protected your planet for far more.” Michiru was still in awe as she walked back into line. 

“Finally, Sailor Pluto.” 

Setsuna, unlike the others, did not step forward. She merely met the count and countess’ gaze with a calm glance of her own. 

“Your talisman is unique. It is incredibly powerful, in that it gives you the ability to travel through time- on your own. In addition, it functions as your key to the Gates of Time,” Luna said. Both she and Artemis handled the gray key-shaped staff, nearly twelve feet tall, with great care. They handed it to Sailor Pluto, who gripped the staff in her right hand. 

“What also makes it unique is that your staff has been especially made for you, just as every Time Guardian receives her own staff. It features your birth stone, garnet, and its make indicates that you are a member of the Royal Line of Descent from Chronos. As such, your sacred duty is to give a portion of your life to guard the Space-Time Door and the Gates of Time. Right now, your mother, Queen Destiny, serves this duty. She has told us that your grandmother has taught you the secrets of time lore, but that you have been unable to use them without a staff of your own,” Artemis said. At Sailor Pluto’s nod, he added, “This staff- which your mother calls the Garnet Rod -was handmade in secret methods known only to your house,” he smiled, “Your mother made it herself.” 

Setsuna stared at the Garnet Rod in shock. She brought it close to her chest, tenderly, then said softly, her eyes sad and faraway, “It’s been so long since I’ve seen her.”

The other senshi, who all knew their mothers and saw them every day, were silent. They shuffled their feet awkwardly, their various boots and high heels indenting lines in the sand. Even Sailor Venus, who frequently bemoaned ever being around her mother, seemed repentant. 

Kagome couldn’t help thinking, _Maybe Pluto and the Sun Kingdom are even more alike than I thought...or maybe just Setsuna and me. I never knew my mother. From the sounds of it, Setsuna didn’t get to have a real mother either._

“All right,” the countess said again, breaking the tension. Kagome noted the demons seemed to be very devoted to their duty of instructing the senshi. For whatever reason, they feared relying on emotion too much. 

“Let’s begin. I’d like you all to notice the targets set up at the opposite end of the field. First, each of you will use one of your attacks to try and hit a target. This exercise will test your ability to control your planet’s energy and your aim. Please try not to hit one another. I don’t want to summon the healers today,” she said sternly, “I’ll also warn you not to try to show off. Remember that you are all new senshi. This is akin to being toddlers and suddenly discovering how to walk. You will be tempted, like a child, to do all sorts of things that you shouldn’t; things that are far out of your capabilities right now. In time, you will grow up and ‘walk’- control your attacks, become more powerful. Right now, however, your powers are only just opened to you. You will likely be able to use only your weakest attack. This is okay; you will all eventually learn others and gain more power. So, relax; don’t overstep your abilities, and use only your simplest attack.” 

Sailor Mercury raised her gloved hand timidly, “But...how will we know which attack to use?” Her head was tilted to the side, her blue hair- its shade only highlighted by her equally blue fuku -shining in the sunlight. 

“A phrase will appear in your mind,” Artemis said comfortingly, “It will be instinctual. You will know what to do.” 

Ami seemed unconvinced, and bit her lip nervously. Kagome realized that Ami was so used to relying on her intelligence- which was undoubtedly vast, and allowed her to absorb mountains of valuable knowledge in order to prepare for almost any situation -that giving up control and relying simply on instinct was going to be very hard for her. Ami did not enjoy being uncertain, or not knowing what was going to happen next. Her knowledge was not only her gift, it was her crutch, and without it, she appeared distinctly uncomfortable. 

“All right,” the count straightened up and folded his hands behind his back, “Let’s begin. We will call out your name at random-

“This will hardly be random,” Kagome heard a familiar voice mutter. She nearly fell over as she turned to see a very handsome demon lord standing to her left. He was dressed nearly identically to the first time she’d seen him, except this time, he carried a third sword with him. Although the addition of another sword baffled her- what man could have a use for three swords? -she was more distracted by the purple crescent moon on his forehead. It seemed to pulse as she stared at it, and all she could think was:

_He’s a prince...this was his kingdom...this was his land..._

“Your Highness?” Sesshomaru raised his eyebrow. Kagome blushed, thoroughly embarrassed. Her face red, she whispered: 

“What do you mean, it won’t be random?” 

“Pardon?” 

_Great...now he can’t hear me...how much more can I make a fool out of myself today?!_

Frustrated, Kagome shouted, “WHAT DO YOU MEAN!?” At this, everyone turned to look at her: the ten senshi, the count and countess, and Sesshomaru himself. 

“You are very loud,” he commented dryly. A few of the Inner Senshi giggled. Kagome blushed even harder. All she wanted to do was melt into the ground and disappear. 

Before she could say a word to defend herself, the count and countess hurried over to the fence where Sesshomaru and Kagome stood.

“Sesshomaru,” Luna said through gritted teeth. Her dark eyes crackled with dislike and...hatred? Her arms were crossed tightly in front of her. 

“Luna,” Sesshomaru replied, his tone flat. He seemed thoroughly disinterested in the pair of demons before him, which puzzled Kagome. All three were demons. Why was there no camaraderie between them?

“‘Her Illustrious Highness,’” Artemis cut in, his own teeth gritted. He stepped forward protectively in front of the countess, “ ‘You should properly address her as ‘Her Illustrious Highness.’”

“This Sesshomaru does not associate with hypocrites.”

“Hypocrites!? How dare you-”

“Yes, hypocrites,” Sesshomaru said sharply, “You are not nobility of the Golden Millennium. In fact, your ancestors- and you, as you still serve Queen Serenity -betrayed the era. You have no right to claim forms of address that belonged to many more worthy demons than you.” 

“I am a countess!” Luna retorted, her voice shrill, “The style of ‘Her Illustrious Highness’ is my right!” Kagome noticed, with a start, that Luna’s nails had suddenly gotten longer. They looked like...like...claws. Cat claws, short, curled, and razor-sharp. 

Sesshomaru, utterly unfazed, laughed, “A countess of the Silver Millennium; of Serenity’s court. Your form of address, according to her, should be ‘my lady.’ Though you are ‘noble,’” he chuckled darkly, “in this era, you were _nothing_ in mine. The address of ‘Illustrious Highness’ does not belong to you, and it never will. Besides, if you were to go and call yourself that, in the style of the Golden Millennium, you would be using the noble styles authorized by my family. If that were the case, then you would have to acknowledge this Sesshomaru’s rank as prince and heir to the Moon Kingdom.”

As he smiled, Luna blanched and Artemis turned bright red. It was a stark contrast against his white clothes and hair, and Kagome had to force down a laugh at the huge difference. Artemis looked like a tomato.

At last he sputtered, “Would you please leave, Sesshomaru?! Your presence is unnecessary and unwelcome here.” 

The demon lord- no, demon prince -gazed down haughtily at the count and countess, “No, I will not leave. My presence is necessary. I was commanded by Empress Kikyuri to observe the training of the Sol System Senshi. She was very concerned about the quality of training they were receiving, especially in these troubled times. She wants to make sure they have excellent magical control, and if they do not, she asked me to demonstrate in an effort to assist them,” when he saw Luna open her mouth to yell at him once more, he added, quite smugly, “And Empress Kikyuri sent a message to Queen Serenity this morning saying exactly that. Serenity herself told me that I am more than welcome to observe. She thinks my battle experience will be very useful.” 

The count’s and countess’ mouths dropped open. They looked both flabbergasted and enraged all at once. Luna particularly seemed like she wanted to attack Sesshomaru- Kagome realized her nails had gotten conspicuously sharper and sharper as the argument had gone on. However, both the count and countess seemed to accept that they could not bypass a direct request from Queen Serenity. Luna sighed, and Artemis sat spitefully: 

“All right. But keep quiet.” 

As they returned to the other senshi, Sesshomaru turned to Kagome and said: 

“I am not sure if he was talking to me or you.” 

Kagome decided to ignore him. 

* * *

  
About five minutes later, the count and countess had collected themselves and were standing before the senshi again. They had both plastered fake smiles on their faces and appeared determined not to acknowledge the presence of Sesshomaru altogether. The demon lord found this infinitely amusing, and he couldn’t resist smirking whenever they accidentally glanced his way. 

“Sailor Pluto,” Luna said, her voice unnaturally cheery, “Would you please take aim at Target 5.” The green-haired senshi nodded. She took two steps towards the target, then, for several seconds, did nothing. 

“As I thought,” Sesshomaru said, whether to himself or Kagome, Kagome wasn’t sure, “This is not random at all. They want to assess the Time Guardian’s power in order to inspire the others. Since she already knows some of time lore, her powers will be less of a mystery to her.” Intrigued, he kept his eyes fastened on Sailor Pluto. The senshi breathed and closed her eyes. The actions were so soft and understated that had Kagome not been paying fervent attention, she would not have noticed them at all. 

Suddenly, the wind picked up in the area. It began to lambast the trees, swinging them back and forth, and almost knocked the senshi off their feet. Kagome, who had had no idea what to expect, almost fell backwards. She braced herself for the ground, but instead found that she’d hit something- soft. Twisting around, she saw Sesshomaru. He gently helped her find her balance against the fence, then held an arm behind her back to steady her. Kagome was so distracted by his warm touch, and the way it made her heart bang in her chest, she almost missed Sailor Pluto’s attack. 

The senshi of time brought the Garnet Rod before her and whispered, “Dead Scream.” The wind blew even faster. All at once, a giant, hot pink ball of swirling energy- nearly the size of a small house -raced towards the target. As the senshi watched, open-mouthed, the ball ripped and shredded the target to smithereens. By the time, the ball faded to nothing and the wind returned to normal, the only thing left of the target were tiny ripped pieces. 

For a moment, no one said anything. Then Sailor Moon shouted:

“Suna! That was so amazing!” 

As if Sailor Moon’s words had opened the floodgates, the other Inner Senshi immediately resounded in shrieks of excitement and screamed compliments. The Outer Senshi, while equally impressed by Sailor Pluto’s attack, were more reserved. They merely smiled and offered her words of congratulations as she took her place, pleasantly surprised, among them. 

“Excellent,” Luna praised her, “Just excellent. Now, who else wants to try?” The Inner Senshi began to squeal, each crying out variations of, “Pick me! Pick me!” The Outer Senshi stood taller, but fingered their talismans, clearly itching to try them out. Everyone wanted to see what her own power was- and each secretly hoped it would be as fantastic as Sailor Pluto’s, or even more so.

“Now,” Sesshomaru whispered quietly, “They will pick the young Serenity. She is everyone’s favorite, after all.” 

_He sounds almost...sad,_ Kagome thought wonderingly, _How...strange. I’ve never seen him upset._

“Sailor Moon, please attack Target 7,” Artemis said. 

_He was right!_ Kagome was shocked. She snuck a glance at Sesshomaru, who seemed as if he was off in his own world. His eyes were clearly looking at another place- or perhaps, more accurately, another time...a time when he had been the prince of the Moon Kingdom, the one everyone adored. When he was the one who was innocent and happy. 

Sailor Moon saluted the count and countess with two fingers, “Okay! Now...” she stood there for a few minutes, as if expecting a giant ball of energy of her own to magically appear. When none materialized, her face turned beet red. 

“Focus, Serenity,” Luna commanded, “Stop paying attention to what’s around you. Look inside yourself. Reach for the power of the Moon.” 

“I...I can’t!” Sailor Moon said, ashamed, “I...I can’t find it!” The other senshi, perplexed by her words, shared awkward glances. Sailor Mars began to whisper to Sailor Venus, who shook her head sadly. Sailors Neptune and Uranus looked troubled. When Kagome snuck another glance at Sesshomaru to see what he thought of Sailor Moon’s situation, she was startled to see his crescent was glowing. It went from purple to white to purple and back again, and Kagome could feel the magical energy collecting around him. 

“My lord,” Kagome nudged him nervously. Sesshomaru started. He came back as if from a dream, slightly dazed and clearly unaware of what had been going on. His crescent mark slowly faded to purple, the white light gone.

“Your Royal Highness!” Sesshomaru called across the field. A distraught Sailor Moon faced him, her fists clenched tightly. 

“Sometimes, a warrior just needs to relax,” Sesshomaru said, “You are excited to serve your kingdom, are you not?” Sailor Moon nodded warily. She wasn’t used to demons- except Luna -offering her advice, let alone a demon like Sesshomaru. She didn’t know what to expect or what he was trying to get at. 

“Then perhaps you let your excitement get ahead of you. Take a deep breath and try again. I’m sure you’ll have no problem now,” he advised. Sailor Moon nodded again. 

Following his advice against her better judgment, she breathed deep and closed her eyes. Then she lifted her tiara off her head and yelled, “Moon...Tiara...MAGIC!” The golden tiara blazed with molten white light, and it became a shining disc spinning round and round towards the target. When it made contact, the target became bathed in the golden glow. After a second, the shining disc spun back and landed in Sailor Moon’s hand. She triumphantly placed it back on her forehead. The target, meanwhile, had been sliced neatly in two. It lay in a crumpled heap on the ground. 

“Very good, Sailor Moon!” Artemis praised her. He didn’t mention Sesshomaru’s part in helping her succeed. Luna shot the demon lord a glare. 

Kagome heard the words as clearly as if someone had said them directly in her ear:

 _You took her power, dog!_

_It was this Sesshomaru’s power first. Still, this Sesshomaru didn’t intend to. It was an accident. This Sesshomaru cannot help if the Moon Kingdom recognizes him before that child._

_Just like a dog to eat scraps off their master’s table! You’re taking scraps of her powers!_

_They were this Sesshomaru’s powers- and this Sesshomaru’s table -first. And you forget yourself, cat. Remember, dogs eat your kind._

Luna gasped in indignation. She turned a steely gaze on Sesshomaru once more, then stomped away towards Sailor Moon. 

Kagome was in utter awe. _Did I just...did I just hear their thoughts!? How is that possible? I don’t understand...this isn’t **possible.**.._

“Sailor Mercury. Target 4.” 

Sailor Mercury, now so nervous she was actually shaking, stepped towards the target. Like the others, she closed her eyes. Though it took her longer than Sailor Pluto, she did not seem to have the same problem as Sailor Moon. Blue light shone down upon her as she spun and crossed her arms before her. A small, pale blue ball appeared in front of her hands. 

“Mercury...SHABON SPRAY!” Sailor Mercury threw her arms out. The tiny blue ball multiplied nearly a hundredfold. Dozens upon dozens of pale blue bubbles swarmed the area, forming a dense fog. It soon became impossible to see. 

“Well,” Artemis said, “I don’t think you destroyed your target, Sailor Mercury, but I have no doubt that will be very useful. A wonderful skill, to be able to confuse and blindside your enemy!”

“Um...hello?” Kagome heard a familiar, sickeningly sweet voice cough. 

_Oh, no..._

“Is anyone here? I’m so sorry I’m late,” the voice said, the tone cloying, “I had a small teleportation problem...the guards didn’t recognize me...impossible, I know...but-”

“That’s quite all right,” Artemis said, his own voice flat, “The point is, you’re here now. Hopefully you’re ready to begin training with the others. We received word that you hadn’t. Obviously, that has to be remedied.”

“Of course I’ve been trained!” the voice said sweetly, “I just...haven’t had the opportunity to practice very recently. I’ve been so busy looking at marriage proposals that I haven’t had a moment to myself! I’m not like lucky little Kagome, who gets to study every day-”

At last, the thick fog of bubbles began to fade. Seemingly out of Kagome’s worst nightmares, there she stood, resplendent in a yellow, orange, and red fuku. Her thick red hair ran down her shoulders in ringlets. She looked every inch a princess, and every inch a soldier.

And right now, she was living every inch of Kagome’s dream and every inch of the life she desperately wanted, but could not have. 

Narchesa.


	7. An Eye for An Eye

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Somewhat graphic scene in this chapter involving minor character death in first flashback.

Kagome could hardly meet her sister’s smug gaze. Narchesa was fluffing her rich red hair with one arm, and with the other, idly playing with a transformation pen. The other senshi stared at her, taking in her exotic fuku. Unlike their own, her solid yellow skirt had a transparent red layer beneath it, and her sleeves were also a transparent red. Her gloves were also longer than theirs, stretching up nearly to her shoulders. Her earrings were a made of solid gold, and stamped into stars. 

At last, Kagome said, “I thought you were in mourning.” 

By all accounts, she should have been. Her mother had just been murdered, after all. Just the other day, she’d been sobbing in her chambers, dressed all in severest black. She would see no one. Her personal maid went in a few times a day to bring her food, but that was all. Every time the maid emerged from Narchesa’s dim chambers, people accosted her for news of the princess. How was she holding up? Had she lost her mind? 

She was their future queen, after all. And though it would be her husband who would rule through her- unlike the other planets in the system, who recognized the eldest child’s right to the throne regardless of gender, the Sun Kingdom recognized primogeniture with one stipulation: if the heiress was a woman, her eventual spouse, though technically ranked below her, would do the actual ruling -the people were still concerned. If she wasn’t sane, or beautiful, how would she attract a husband who would rule them well?

Kagome had heard yesterday that Narchesa was still refusing to see anyone. Her maid said she had run out of tears, but was still crying anyway. 

The last place Kagome had expected to see Narchesa was here, let alone in her bizarrely happy mood. 

Narchesa shrugged, “I am in mourning. Why do you think I’m here, Kagome? I want to avenge the life of my mother.” Despite her words, she seemed very nonchalant about the whole thing. Kagome didn’t interact with her sister much, but she did know that this behavior was wildly out of character for her. She was a bit haughty (she had been spoiled madly), but she was not extremely pompous. She had also been very close to her mother. Narchesa, for all her faults, loved Kedira very much. She should have been devastated for months. 

Yet here she was, chatting casually about death and betrothals in the same sentence. 

Kagome felt sick. 

“Your Highness, are you all right?” 

Kagome wearily lifted her head. She met the golden eyes of a very concerned Sesshomaru. He was standing over her, slightly leaning towards her- a little closer than necessary. Behind him, she could see Narchesa, smiling at her. 

Suddenly, all she wanted to do was run away. 

In way of answer to Sesshomaru, she shook her head. 

Sesshomaru gently took her hand and straightened up. Casting a glance over to Artemis and Luna, he announced:

“The princess is feeling ill. I will escort her to the healers.” 

Luna crossed her arms and snapped, “What happened to seeing if the princesses exhibited magical control?” Her eyes flashed fire. Once again, her nails surreptitiously lengthened.

Sesshomaru languidly answered, “It is only their first day. I am sure I can leave them in your very _capable_ ,” he stressed the word, making his very sarcastic meaning obvious, “hands.” 

With that, he tucked her hand under his arm and walked away from the practice field.   


* * *

  
Kagome allowed Sesshomaru to lead her away from the others. Neither of them spoke. Kagome was too wrapped up in thoughts of Narchesa to pay much attention to where they were going. She couldn’t believe her sister- the coldness, the nonchalance in the way she treated Kedira’s death. Kagome didn’t understand any of it. 

When they made an abrupt turn to the left, Kagome was startled out of her reverie. Instead of going towards the Moon Palace, they were heading towards the gardens, the tall bushes of stately green obscuring any view of the outside world- or the practice fields where the senshi were. 

“Where are we going?” she asked.

Sesshomaru said, expressionless, “You are not ill. You only wanted to escape your family.” 

Kagome stopped in her tracks, utterly stunned. 

“I understand that,” Sesshomaru said quietly. His long white hair blew in the wind, making a compelling silhouette against the starry sky of the Moon Kingdom. The Moon Kingdom, for all its glory, had no true clouds of day time. The sky was always black and filled with stars. It was a strange kind of beauty, but it also seemed frozen. Rather like Sesshomaru himself. 

Kagome’s eyes locked with Sesshomaru’s golden ones, “What do you mean?”

“Come, princess. Sit down,” he gestured to a bench made of pure white marble. Kagome complied, taking the opportunity to admire the sweeping vista in front of her. On three sides, she was surrounded by tall green hedges. Pink and white flowers bloomed here and there, creating occasional pops of color through the green. On the fourth side, however, was a seemingly endless ocean. The water was utterly smooth and still, its color a perfect silver. 

Noting her gaze as Sesshomaru sat beside her, he explained, “Mare Serenitatis: the Sea of Serenity. Named for your friend’s ancestor.” His tone was bitter. 

Choosing to ignore it, Kagome asked, “My lord, what did you mean? About...about wanting to escape your family?” A flash of surprise flew through his golden eyes, but just as quickly it disappeared and his serious demeanor returned. 

“Well, why do you want to escape yours, princess?” he queried, deftly deflecting the question back at her.

Kagome, though taken aback, did not refuse him an answer. She hung her head and whispered:

“I’m embarrassed by them. I shouldn’t feel that way about my family, but I do,” Kagome blushed, “They’re not the best; not the brightest. Everyone thinks they’re- we’re -barbarians. I can’t stand being looked down on as being something- something less. Yet even me- in my deepest heart, I can’t help but be ashamed of my father. Of them,” she added, remorse flooding through her, “and I hate myself for that.” 

Kagome stared determinedly at her lap. She couldn’t bear to think of what Sesshomaru must have thought of her now. She’d just admitted she thought her own flesh and blood were below her. It was a dark part of herself that she hated, and one she often refused to recognize. She rarely shared it with herself, and could hardly believe she’d shared it with him. 

_Not only are you a terrible person, Kagome,_ she thought furiously, _you’re a stupid one. You’ve made him despise you!_

The seconds seemed to drag on forever. 

At last, Sesshomaru said, “You should not hate yourself, princess. The embarrassment you feel is not of your own doing. It has been taught to you by others who should not consider themselves above you.” 

Kagome was surprised that he had not immediately rejected her, “I don’t understand-”

The demon prince cut in quickly, “You should not be embarrassed or ashamed. The only reason you feel that way- that you are beneath the people of the Federation -is because they think they are better than you, and perfect in all aspects. They have passed that viewpoint onto you, but I assure you, it is not true,” Sesshomaru said softly, “You are a much better person than they will ever be.” 

Kagome blushed again, but this time she could feel her heart slamming in her chest. Blood rushed to her cheeks. She stared at Sesshomaru’s hand- pale white, elegant, graceful, yet strong -enfolded around her tan, utterly normal one. His skin was completely unmarred, but hers bore a few scars from childhood falls. 

_Perfect_ , Kagome thought in wonder, _How could anyone ever say that he’s not perfect? That he’s evil?_

“Thank you,” Kagome whispered aloud. Then, gaining courage, she asked, “What about you? Why do you want to escape?”

When Sesshomaru’s tender gaze began to harden, she pointed out, “I told you! Haven’t you ever heard of a secret for a secret?”

“What?” Sesshomaru replied, incredulous. He gazed at her, confused. 

Kagome sighed dramatically, trying to make him laugh, “A secret for a secret! It means when someone tells you a secret, you have to tell them one!” It was an ancient, undefiable law her sisters had made up long ago. It had caused Kagome many an embarrassment when she was younger, but now she was grateful for their idea. 

“I believe the expression you’re looking for is ‘an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’”

“No. It’s a secret for a secret,” Kagome’s voice turned serious, “And I told you my darkest secret. Why won’t you tell me yours?” Her own black hair rustled in the wind. 

Sesshomaru stood up. For several minutes, he gazed at the tranquil water of the silver sea. To Kagome, he seemed to be in another world. In reality, however, he was only in the past.   


* * *

  
_Screams and shouts filled the night. The young boy could see smoke spiraling into the black sky, making a perverse pattern among the stars. A peculiar smell filled the air. It was rotten, and he instinctively knew it was something terrible._

_“Mama,” he said, stumbling along after the queen, whose hand she held firmly in her grip, “What is that?”_

_“Nothing, Sesshomaru. Do not think about that.” Sesshomaru could not see his mother’s eyes, but her voice trembled between fear and fury._

_“But, Mama-”_

_“Listen to me.”_

_Sensing her distress, the boy obeyed. He clutched the dark cloak around him. His mother had pressed it around his shoulders, urging him that under any circumstances, he must not let the cloak fall and reveal his presence. It was of utmost importance that no more humans find him tonight._

_It was the humans’ hatred and fear that had them being sent away, running from their home. The other day, Sesshomaru had been playing in these gardens. They were open then, filled with beautiful flowers. He’d been playing with other young children in the court, both demon and human. All the boys tried to best him at swordfighting, but they never could. Even with a wooden sword, his talent was undeniable. His father, King InuTaisho, had noticed his son’s gift and promised that the entire garden would soon have new flowers and a new practice field for his “little swordsman.” He had even shown his son the two Great Swords, Tetsusaiga and Tenseiga, and told him that they would be his one day._

_But now, none of that was to be. Sesshomaru’s father was gone- fighting somewhere in the capital, but where, he did not know. The flowers were dead, burned and trampled. The children were missing. And Sesshomaru was no longer innocent._

_Suddenly, he heard a woman’s voice- a horrific voice he recognized all too well -shout, “There! They went that way! Into the gardens!” she added gaily, “Kill them! All the demons must be gone before the Moon can be cleansed and peace can reign!”_

_Men roared in response, and their steps began to thunder through the garden._

_It seemed Serenity had gone back on her promise of safe passage._

_His mother swore- a word he’d never heard her say before -then dragged him on. When the men began to catch up to them, she pushed Sesshomaru on._

_“Go,” she said, “Run on. Run until you reach the shore of the sea. I will come for you, but you must hide until I arrive. If I am not there in ten minutes,” his mother swallowed, “I want you to get in the boat and go. You are going to leave here, even if I am not with you.”_

_“But Mama-”_

_“Go, Sesshomaru!” His mother’s words morphed into a growl as she transformed into her true self- a beautiful, raging dog demoness. Although she was giant, she was gorgeous. Her fur was like white silk, and her long ears were held elegantly at her side. Her eyes flashed red. Through it all, her purple moon insignia remained on her forehead._

_“Get him!” one of the men shouted, “Get the brat!”_

_Many of the men, who by now had arrived to face Sesshomaru’s mother, seemed to relish the chance of killing him. They gave chase to the wounded young prince._

_Before they could get very far, however, Sesshomaru’s mother growled and savagely tore four of them to pieces. Body parts splayed on the ground, and some of the men gasped as the limbs of their former comrades- a leg here, an arm there -smacked them, letting blood stain their clothes. As they stood there in shock, trying to process what had just happened, Sesshomaru’s mother began to glow. White light surrounded her, and began to trail its way back towards Sesshomaru._

_Abruptly, giant bushes, enormous green hedges filled with thorns, sprung from the ground on all sides. They formed a giant maze and created a shield around the young prince- and also, a method of escape._

Sesshomaru, GO! _his mother’s voice tore into his mind. Men screamed on the other side of the hedges._

_Sesshomaru began to run, as fast as he could. His shoulder throbbed with pain, and he could feel himself weakening. His vision blurred a few times, and he began to get dizzy. Nevertheless, he forced himself to keep going. He had to keep going. For his mother._ _He didn’t know the path, but the thought of his mother- fighting back so bravely -seemed to guide him. Right, left, right, left. Twisting, turning, seemingly in an infinite circle of confusion. Yet the hedges did not seem to end. They were nearly fourteen feet tall. No man could ever see over them._

_Finally, the maze ended. In front of him was the Silver Sea, named for its pristine water. It was fiercely cold, but Sesshomaru still loved to swim in it. His mother, though disapproving of him swimming in such freezing temperatures, indulged his habit. She always sat beside the water with a warm towel at the ready._

_His father often swam with him._

_“Your Royal Highness!”_

_Sesshomaru spun around, trying to pinpoint the source of the voice. In front of him stood another dog demon he recognized- the captain of the palace’s guards. He, at least, had remained loyal._

_“Where is Her Majesty?” the captain asked, worry evident in her voice. He frantically scanned the edges of the maze, but when the queen did not appear, he paled. Kneeling down to Sesshomaru’s height, he asked again:_

_“My prince, where is your mother?”_

_“I- I don’t know!” Sesshomaru, who had remained brave throughout the entire ordeal, at last began to cry. He couldn’t stand to think of his mother, left behind to battle the traitors alone. Was she all right? Was she hurt? What if she had died?_

No! _he thought furiously,_ Mama’s not dead! Mama can’t die! Mama and Papa can’t die!

_“Your Highness, you’re hurt!” the captain observed, his voice grave. He snapped his fingers, and another demon- this one a palace healer -ran towards the prince. He examined the wound as fast as he could, then rubbed a stinging salve into it. As he wrapped strong cloth gauze around it, Sesshomaru kept staring at the trees._

Mama...Mama...MAMA! _he thought in agony. He closed his eyes, tears running down his cheeks, I should have stayed! I should have helped her! He sunk to the ground, bringing his hands around his knees._

_“Your Majesty!” the captain shouted. Sesshomaru’s eyes opened. Instantly, he was on his feet._

_Disbelievingly, he watched in horror as his mother, now in humanoid form, emerged from the maze. Her hair was wretched, having long since fallen out of its pinned, elegant odango. Her expensive robes were torn and streaked with blood. Her footsteps were unsteady, and she struggled to walk towards the shore._

_Immediately, guards rushed to support her. Two men ran to each side, and the queen- she who had always walked with pride -gratefully let her arms rest on their shoulders. With their assistance, she eventually made it to the shore._

_“Your Majesty,” the captain bowed. All the demons present on the shore bowed deeply as well. Though their numbers were pitiful- only eleven of the one hundred demons in the palace guards and the one healer out of the thirty in the royal family’s employ had made it out alive -Sesshomaru’s mother accepted the gesture with grace._

_Though bleeding and broken, she looked every inch a queen._

_The men clearly recognized not only that, but also her sacrifice. It was their job to preserve her life, and that of her husband’s and son’s. She never should have had to fight and come so close to death. Her blood should never have spilled on the ground._

_Still, Sesshomaru’s mother cared more about their loyalty now. She knew they had fought as bravely and as well as they could. The humans’ numbers, though, were simply too much._

_Now, they had to take their lone chance to escape._

_“Gentlemen, please rise,” she said, somehow maintaining her regal form in the face of disaster, “We have very little time. Quickly, everyone board the ship.”_

_“Of course, Your Majesty,” the guards saluted. They began to board the ship that waited, lilting gently from side to side in the silver water._

_“Your Majesty,” the captain whispered, “What of His Majesty? What should we do?” Sesshomaru’s mother looked at the captain, the burning capital, and then her son._

_Heart breaking, she said, “We must leave. It is of utmost importance that we escape. We must use it to get out of this godforsaken place,” her hair blew in the wind, “I have faith that InuTaisho will find us.”_

_The captain’s eyes widened, but he bowed, “Of course, Your Majesty.”_

_Sesshomaru’s mother gathered her son in her arms, and then the captain assisted them both onto the boat. Once he saw they were settled, he said:_

_“The starship is waiting across the water. It is hidden in the glen. We’ve sent word for everyone who can to come to the glade,” apologetically he added, “We were only able to smuggle one, Your Majesty. I don’t know how many will be able to make it on with us.”_

_“Stars willing, all will be able to. If not,” Sesshomaru’s mother said, “I know the demons of the other kingdoms will help them. I have seen starships arriving all night.”_

_“But where can they go? It won’t be long before the other planets start purging them as well.”_

_Sesshomaru’s mother hung her head, “I don’t know. Perhaps with us, wherever we will be. Perhaps to the Barren Land.” She looked hopefully at the blue sphere, whose continents were only vaguely beginning to turn green with vegetation, floating in the sky above them._

_As the boat pushed away from the shore, Sesshomaru heard that woman- that awful woman who called herself Serenity -shriek in anger. She was surrounded by many humans, all of whom clutched swords, spears, and torches. Some were busy throwing sticks around a large tree, creating a large pile. It was one of Sesshomaru’s favorite trees- it bloomed in white and silver flowers each year._

_“Selenity!” Serenity screeched, “Demon whore! Hear me!”_

_Sesshomaru’s mother waved the guards who supported her aside. She turned and stood on her own feet, drawing herself up to her full height. She locked gazes with the woman across the lake._

_“An eye for an eye, Selenity! I wanted your life, and the life of your son!” Serenity sneered, “Since I don’t get that, it’s an ‘eye for an eye.’ I’ll take these lives instead!” She held two crying demon children at her side._

_Sesshomaru gasped as he recognized them as his longtime playmates._

No! _he thought, sick to his stomach,_ No! No! NO!

_“Don’t dogs smell well?” Serenity asked, a dark smile warping her pretty features._ _She carelessly tossed one of the children at a man standing by the tree. He wrapped strong ropes around the sobbing child as two other guards pointed spears directly towards it. When the child was lashed against the tree, the man handed Serenity a torch._

_Serenity walked towards the tree and the demon child, hatred in her eyes. Then she looked directly at Selenity as she said:_

_“Especially the smell of burning meat?” With that, she let the torch drop into the sticks at the pile beneath the child. They caught alight, and flames appeared._

_At once, Sesshomaru recognized the rotten smell for what it was: burning flesh._

_“Mama! Mama, NO!” Sesshomaru shouted, “Mama, don’t let her do this! Please!”_

_The child began to scream._

_Tears began to run down Selenity’s cheeks as she whispered, “By the stars, Sesshomaru, I wish I could stop her! I wish I could-” she made as if to dive off the boat, but the captain pulled her back._

_“Your Majesty!” the captain said, “Please! Your injuries are too grave! If you face that mob, you’ll die!” He pleaded with her, but Sesshomaru’s mother seemed not to hear him. Tears ran down her face in waves, and she stood frozen at the back of the ship, helpless._

_“Coward!” Serenity cried across the water, “Savage! You’d let a child die to save your own skin!?” The crowd jeered and mocked Sesshomaru’s mother, seeming to forget that it was Serenity who’d set fire to the child in the first place. They rallied behind her, waving weapons and shouting. Yet none dared enter the water. It was freezing for demons, but it was fatally cold for humans._

_With Selenity’s silence as her only answer, Serenity stepped away from the blaze._

_“Very well. An eye for an eye, a life for a life,” she grabbed the second child, then raised a blade above his head._

_Sesshomaru closed his eyes._

_The crowd roared._

_Serenity tossed the body into the water._

_“Serenity!” Sesshomaru’s mother screamed, “You are a heartless creature! You will pay for what you have done today!” she clutched the sides of the boat, her fingers making dents in the sides, “I curse you! I curse you, and your line! The Moon Kingdom will fall! Your palace will be ruins! Your family will be dead! And I,” Selenity vowed, “I will be there to see it! An eye for an eye, after all!”_

_With that, Sesshomaru’s mother sank to her knees, sobbing._

_Sesshomaru, who had stood beside her on the ship, could not tear his eyes away from what had become of his home. The flames soared above the green hedges, seeming to stretch into the sky. No matter how hard he tried, he could not get the smell of roasting flesh out of his nose, nor the sound of screams out of his ears._

_The last sight he had of the Moon Palace was the blood streaming through the water of the Silver Sea._

* * *

Still staring at the sea, Sesshomaru said, “I want to escape from my family because I want to escape my past.” 

Kagome’s heart twisted in sympathy, “I’m sorry. I should never have asked you-”

“Do not trouble yourself,” the demon said, “You were correct. You deserve an equal trade. Besides, I am certain you have heard what they say about me.” He looked back at her, and Kagome was surprised by the honesty and sadness in his eyes. 

It was only fair to be honest with him. 

“Well, yes, but,” she swallowed, “I’m not sure how much of it is actually true.” She twisted her fingers in her gown, trying to alleviate some of her guilt. For a long time, she’d believed what Serenity and the other princesses had told her. Still, after talking to Sesshomaru, she couldn’t reconcile what they’d said with how he acted. Maybe they were only repeating the stories their families told them, but Sesshomaru didn’t seem like someone evil. He just seemed like Kagome herself- an outsider in their privileged world.

Sesshomaru took in what she said, and seemed to measure her worth in his mind.

 _This girl has no idea what she just said,_ he realized, S _he cannot possibly know the magnitude of what she says._

Deciding Kagome was definitely different from other Sol System humans he'd met, the demon said, “It is a very long story, but I am not ashamed of my family. I am not ashamed of who we were, or what happened then. I want to escape what happened after we were driven out.”

 _Driven out?_ Kagome wondered, _I thought they were exiled!_

“After Serenity I took over the throne, my mother and I had very little time to leave the kingdom. We were running for our lives. Once we reached the starship, we found my father waiting for us,” Sesshomaru paused, “We were relieved to find him alive. Though neither of us would admit it, both of us feared he had been killed. They drew away to talk, and began to speak quickly- and I noticed my mother was very angry.” 

Kagome listened, enraptured. She’d never heard Sesshomaru speak about his past. Only the Inner Princesses ever talked about it, and they never mentioned it with Sesshomaru in the starring role. He was only the demon prince, a son of those who had oppressed the citizens of the Moon Kingdom. He was the one who should never have returned, yet here he was, a living relic of a time everyone in the Federation wanted to forget. 

Sesshomaru sighed, then continued, “She pushed my father away, and tearfully dragged me into the ship. We lifted off, and flew into the sky- without him,” he paused, ensconced in the horrible memory, “When I asked her, frightened and confused, why Father had not come with us, my mother told me it was because he did not want to. She would not explain any more to me then, but I found out the truth later.   


“In the Golden Millennium, humans and demons shared the throne. There were two royal families. Through a series of very complex laws, the heir from the human family married the heir from the demon family, and they were created the rulers of the Moon Kingdom. After a few generations, of course, the humans- who now had demon blood running through them -were an enchanted race of their own, with magical abilities and long life. Still, the tradition of sharing the throne with the demon family continued, and all worked well until my father ascended the throne.” 

Kagome was stunned by Sesshomaru was telling her. Essentially, he was saying that the incredibly long lifespans and magic enjoyed by the people of the Silver Millennium was at least partly caused and enhanced by the intermarriage of humans and demons long ago. She’d been told it was caused by the power of the modern royal families, but that explanation had always been a shoddy one. Why would the royals just randomly possess more power, and then extend that power to the masses? Kagura had always told her that it was this ability that made a royal family distinct from a normal one (and thus fit to rule), but Kagome had to admit, Sesshomaru’s explanation made more sense. 

“My father, King InuTaisho, was married to the heiress of the human family, Selenity V. Unfortunately, she died shortly after their marriage. According to the succession laws, the human heir had died- leaving the throne to pass to the demon heir who was next in line. As my father still ruled, he was still a demon, but the laws could not be defied. So he married my mother, Selenity VI Erinna, who went through a religious ceremony where she adapted the identity of a human. She even forswore her powers until the night the Moon Kingdom fell, when she transformed to defend me.” 

Kagome said nothing, but nodded at Sesshomaru to continue. 

Now, the secrets began to spill out of him, “The humans had quietly been protesting my father’s and mother’s marriage since it had happened, but had not really done anything. They thought we were stealing the throne from them, even though I was promised to marry a human from the royal family, which would restore the balance. When I was very young, a woman from the human royal family rallied the human population and started a revolution. She told them that peace could only be achieved once demons left the Moon Kingdom. She killed many demons and took the throne, and she became Serenity I.”

Kagome’s eyes widened. _What!? Queen Serenity and Serenity aren’t like that at all! They’re not cruel or wicked! How could they be descended from her?_

Guessing her thoughts, Sesshomaru said, “Any soul has the potential to become evil. It is their choice whether they do or not,” he sighed again, then said, “When I was older, my mother told me my father had died battling a demon on Earth seven years prior. I had not seen him in many years, and I had begging to see him, but she had always refused me. Apparently, she had no intention of telling me he was dead,” Sesshomaru said coldly, bitterness filling his voice. 

_How terrible_ , Kagome thought. Her heart had begun to hurt deeply. 

“A few days afterwards, though, my mother- who had long since dropped the name Selenity -was interrupted in the Andromedan court. People said a woman was there to see her, a woman calling herself Izayoi. At the name, my mother turned red with rage. She demanded the woman be dismissed immediately, but the messenger revealed that the woman had said she was dying and pleaded to see her in the name of InuTaisho. 

“My mother relented, and a beautiful, but ragged human was ushered to stand before my mother on her throne next to Empress Kikyuri. Izayoi had a short, scruffy seven year old dressed in a red robe far too large for him with her. She asked my mother to take care of the child- she called him Inuyasha -because she was dying. She said that if not for her, to please do it for my father. This made my mother upset, but Izayoi added that InuTaisho had told her before he died to tell my mother he had always loved her.

“My mother finally agreed, and she took Inuyasha in. Izayoi died the next day. At her funeral, which was simple and attended by almost no one, I asked my mother why my father knew Izayoi, and why he had been gone for so long.” 

* * *

_Archduchess Erinna of Andromeda, the former Queen Selenity VI Erinna of the Moon Kingdom, coldly watched as the simple casket was lowered into the ground. The newly knighted Lord Sesshomaru, former prince of the Moon Kingdom, his appearance now akin to that of a human fifteen years old (though he was of course older), stood beside his mother. The seven year old boy- Inuyasha -clung to Sesshomaru’s pants, crying. He kept looking at Sesshomaru plaintively, as if Sesshomaru owed him something. But Sesshomaru had never met the child. He was as much perplexed by the boy’s misplaced affection as he was by the connection of the dead woman in the casket with his father._

_“Mother,” he said, as the gravediggers began to shovel dirt over the casket, “Who was that woman?” Erinna gazed at her son, “That woman was the filthy human who took your father away from me. And **that** ,” she stared at Inuyasha, “is the result of their mating.” Sesshomaru stared after his mother in shock, then down at the little boy who was still plastered to him. _

My...brother? _he thought, dizzily,_ But...if Father mated with a human, then he’s a half-demon...and half-human.

_Upon realizing that, Sesshomaru jumped away from Inuyasha. Ever since that dreadful night so many years ago, both Erinna and Sesshomaru had harbored an innate hatred and distrust for the humans of the Sol System. They looked down on them as traitors, killers, and would-be murderers. They could not banish their memories of the cruelty of the humans and the innocent blood they shed that night._

_“Leave me alone!” he commanded Inuyasha._

_The little boy ran toward him, “But...brother-”_

_“Do not call me that!” Sesshomaru yelled. He ran back into the palace and ran through the halls, not caring where he went, only wanting to avoid Inuyasha. He ended up in the library. Panting heavily against a stack of books, he closed his eyes._

_“Lord Sesshomaru?”_

_He opened his eyes to see the six-year old princess of Andromeda, Kikyo, in front of him._

_“Are you all right?” she asked. Her head was tilted to the side, and both confusion and concern radiated from her. Her black hair- clearly inherited from her mother -was tied in a short ponytail._

_When Sesshomaru didn’t answer her, she asked, “Did you need something?”_

_Despite his dour mood, he couldn’t help but smile in his head. Kikyo always wanted to help people. She’d been like that since the day she learned to walk. She was known to the palace servants as the strange princess who helped them pick up her toys, who liked to clean the floors with them. She was known to the people as the little girl who loved to learn herb_ _-lore from anyone, from the highest noble lady to the lowliest peasant grandmother, and who would play with any children who came her way, no matter their station._ _Still, she was only six. And she couldn’t exactly help him with this._

_Could she?_

_“Kikyo,” he said, bending down to her level, “Could you get me a book about the history of the Sol System?”_

_“Mmhm!” the princess grinned and scampered off, happy she could help him. She loved to read, and even at her young age, knew the library very well. She immediately located the book he would need a few shelves away. Fetching it for him, she brought it back and offered it to him._

_“Here you go,” she smiled sweetly, “Let me know when you want to put it back!”_

_Sesshomaru nodded, barely registering her presence. He flicked to a more recent chapter about the fall of the Moon Kingdom, and the end of the “Golden Millennium,” as people had taken to calling it._ _Sesshomaru skipped over the parts he knew well. Then he noticed his father’s name- and the woman’s name -entwined together on a page._ _Starting to feel sick, he began to read:_

_‘After the Battle of the Moon, the fallen king, InuTaisho, concocted a desperate plan to save the throne. As his wife and child fled into the stars, eventually finding their way to the Empire of the Galaxy of Andromeda, InuTaisho went to the Dark Side of the Moon. In this mostly uninhabited side of the Moon, there lived a noble family who history has recorded as the “Helenias.” Each daughter of the family’s middle name was Helenia. Their blood was nearly as blue as the original royal families.' InuTaisho went to them, and asked for the hand of one of their daughters. He thought that by joining a human woman, and having a child with her- a new heir -he could perhaps win back the throne, and gain the safety of his demon bride and son. The family, however, scoffed at him and refused- all except the youngest daughter. She agreed to go with the handsome king and bear his child, both because she was attracted to him and because she felt sorry for his plight._

_Yet when the Lunarians discovered InuTaisho was not only alive and well, but had a human woman pregnant with his child, they were furious and drove him off the planet. He had no refuge in the system except on a planet once referred to as the Barren Land: Earth. There, many demons, themselves victims of exile and betrayal, battled for supremacy. InuTaisho wanted to return to Erinna, his demon wife, but also did not want to abandon Izayoi Helenia, who had risked everything to come with him, as well as their unborn child._

_And so they remained on Earth, until the night Izayoi bore the child. A Lunarian who had been in love with her, one Setsuna no Takemaru, followed them to Earth. When Izayoi declared she would not repent and leave InuTaisho, Takemaru stabbed her with a spear and killed her. InuTaisho, who had been battling his great enemy Ryukotsusei, the deposed king of Mars who wanted blood revenge on all humans, rushed to her aid and revived her with Tenseiga, one of the two Great Swords. He commanded her to leave and died in the burning of a castle where Takemaru had kept Izayoi hostage._

_Thus the last demon king of the Moon died, somewhat fittingly, in a burning castle._

_What happened to Izayoi and the child is not known.’_

_Sesshomaru felt the bile rise in his throat. He hated his father by abandoning Erinna and himself while taking care of Izayoi and Inuyasha. He hated his father for never seeing him. Most of all, he hated his father for dying and leaving him alone with this burden._

* * *

  
“So now you know all of my dark secrets,” Sesshomaru finished. He looked at Kagome blankly, but she could tell he was sad, memories of his horrible past haunting him. He was immortal. There would be no escaping those memories, not as long as he lived. 

“My lord,” Kagome said, tears in her eyes, “I’m so, so, so sorry. I can’t imagine what that must have been like for you.” She stood and took his hand in her own. 

Startled by her touch, the demon lord met her gaze. 

_She truly means it,_ he thought in disbelief, _And she...she touched me._

 _No one_ in the Federation ever touched him. If they absolutely had to, they jumped away as soon as they could as if they had touched fire. Yet Kagome- this teenage human princess who no one wanted -not only touched him, but did she not pull away. And she was sincere. Unlike any human in the Sol System he had known in a long time, he could tell her statements were pure and that she meant what she said. 

“Sesshomaru,” he decided. 

“I’m sorry?” Kagome asked, thoroughly confused. 

“You know everything about me,” he said, “You know I am not a lord, nor am I a prince. So...” he trailed off, giving her a permission he had given no one- except his mother, of course (and Kikyo, who his mother had made him give permission to) -had ever received, “please call me Sesshomaru.” 

Kagome, overwhelmed and confused by everything that had happened, nodded mutely. 

“The sun’s setting,” she observed. 

“You must go home,” Sesshomaru said. He reluctantly let go of her hand. 

“Yes, I do. Goodbye...” Kagome, still in shock, hurriedly walked towards the Moon Palace. It was familiar, and it was safe, unlike the things Sesshomaru had told her and the demon prince himself. 

As she neared the palace, she could not resist turning around and getting a last look at him. The demon lord was watching her, once again expressionless. 

Finally, she shouted, “Sesshomaru!” He still stared at her.

“Call me Kagome!” she said. 

“What?” the demon lord said, surprised. 

“Call me Kagome!” Kagome repeated. She smiled weakly, “An eye for an eye, right? Goodnight, Sesshomaru!” She waved at him and walked inside the palace. 

The demon prince watched her go, then said softly, “An eye for an eye, Kagome.” 


	8. Debutantes and Dares

The next morning, Kagome awoke in bed, staring at the thin gold canopy above her bed. She could hear Kagura and Tali talking in the sitting room they shared, and Risuyo running around- undoubtedly playing with some toys -but all she could think about was her talk with Sesshomaru yesterday. 

_Who’s right? The princesses, who say that demons oppressed and attacked and killed without a thought? Or Lord Sesshomaru? He seems to think that the humans were the ones who did the real damage...who’s telling the truth? Who should I believe?_

Kagome turned over, clutching her pillow, more confused than ever. 

“Kagome!!!” Tali said loudly, “Kagome! You need to wake up, right now!” Her voice carried through the door. She sounded agitated and excited all at once. Just as suddenly, Risuyo ran in, a red envelope held close to her heart. 

“Kagome!” Risuyo was breathlessly, “Kagome! Look at this! It came for you this morning!” She jumped onto the bed, making Kagome wince (and four of her pillows fall on the floor), then crawled over to her older sister. Kagome wearily pushed herself into a sitting position, and said indulgently to the little girl:

“Hey, Risuyo. What’s that?” Kagome bent forward to get a closer look at the envelope. Risuyo grinned wildly, then offered up the envelope. 

As she took the envelope from the little girl, the haze of sleep was gone in an instant. Kagome gasped, now wide awake. The red envelope was made of fine silk and embroidered in gold. In fine calligraphy, the front read, “To Her Highness, Kagome Kiori, Daughter of the Sun, Princess of Sands, and Princess of the Sun Kingdom.” The back was stamped with the elaborate purple seal of the Royal House of Mars. 

Nervously, Kagome undid the seal, practically shaking with excitement. Her voice trembling, she began to read: 

_“Her Highness, the Princess Rei of the House of Hino, daughter of Their Majesties, Queen Ariesna and King Vulcan of Mars, has reached the age of majority. Accordingly, she will be formally be installed as the Right and True Heiress to the Kingdom of Mars, She Who Will Be Queen, on this July the 19, Year 1009 of the Silver Millennium. In addition, Her Highness, the Princess Rei, will be sworn to the gods as a priestess and begin her apprenticeship forthwith. It is the greatest pleasure of Their Majesties, Queen Ariesna and King Vulcan, and of Her Highness, the Princess Rei, to cordially invite Her Highness, Kagome Kiori, Daughter of the Sun, Princess of Sands, and Princess of the Sun Kingdom, to this momentous celebration. Furthermore, Their Majesties also extend an invitation to His Majesty, King Savitr the Magnificent, Supreme Lord of the Sun Kingdom, to attend the ball. Wishing the Royal House of the Sun Kingdom good health and much respect, and eagerly awaiting their presence at the Princess Rei’s installation as the Right and True Heiress of Mars,_   
_Their Majesties, Queen Ariesna & King Vulcan of Mars_

  
_Her Highness, the Princess Rei of the House of Hino”_  
  
Beneath the very formal invitation, Rei had scrawled: 

“ _Sorry this is so late! You were always invited, but I wanted to convince Mother and Father to invite your father too! They only just agreed. Hope you can come! See you tonight! It’s going to be the party of the year (but don’t tell Serenity that; she’ll get jealous that my party trumps her masquerade)! Oh, and you can bring two guests. Lots of love, Rei_.” 

Kagome’s mouth dropped open. She had just been invited to the debutante ball of debutante balls. Mars was famous for its debutante balls- they had one every year to introduce the young ladies of society -, a practice which had long been abandoned by the other planets. As a result, Mars’ balls had gotten more extravagant and over-the-top each year, and though the other planets pronounced them as archaic, everyone secretly loved to go and enjoyed them greatly. For ages, Kagome and her sisters had heard about them- the reports of crazy entertainment, feats of magic, and wonderful dancing. They’d never been invited. 

But now- now Kagome had been invited to the most _fantastic_ debutante ball of all. At this ball, Rei was officially going to become the Heiress of Mars. She’d always been the heiress, of course, but Mars had a tradition that when an heir reached the age of majority, they had to go through a special ceremony in order to assume the proper title (and obviously, the ceremony only happened once every three hundred or so years). Over time, it had developed into the raging party it was today. 

Kagome could hardly contain her excitement. Not only was she invited, but her father was too! That was unprecedented. The Sun royals rarely went to Federation events, and almost never were invited. It would have taken a lot for Rei to accomplish that. She might have even fought her parents for the right to invite Savitr and Kagome. Kagome was touched by Rei’s thoughtfulness. 

_Maybe they’re starting to accept us,_ she thought in disbelief. 

“Kagome, what are you going to do!?” Tali demanded. By this time, both her older sisters had barged their way into her bedroom. Tali was staring at her with wide eyes, while Kagura was amused at Tali’s excitement. 

“Obviously, she’s going to go,” Kagura said dryly, “Why wouldn’t she?” She smirked, her scarlet eyes full of amusement. 

Kagome nodded vigorously, “Of course! I can’t believe they invited me...and Father, too!” _It’s incredible!_

Kagura shrugged, “It wasn’t something any of us expected. Still, it’s a great honor,” she winked at Kagome, “I guess you’re making good networking with the power people, huh?” She sat down next to Risuyo on the bed, eyebrow elegantly raised. 

“Kagura, who _cares_ how she did it!?” Tali demanded, “More importantly, Kagome, who are you going to invite as your guests?” Kagome blushed as she realized Tali was practically salivating at the chance to go. After years of being snubbed by the Federation royals, she still wanted to interact with them. Kagome wasn’t sure whether this was a good or a bad thing. Tali was either very forgiving, or very desperate. 

“Me, of course!” Risuyo cried out. She stood up on the bed, trying to be regal, but wobbling slightly. Nevertheless, she kept her balance.

“Risuyo,” Kagura eyed the little girl, “You’re eight years old. You can’t go to a ball like this.” 

“Yes, I can!” she said stubbornly, and crossed her arms, “I have a new dress and everything!” Risuyo looked at Kagome plaintively, “It’s gold with nice red ribbons! Please, Kagome?” She clasped her hands together. 

Looking at Risuyo, Kagome felt guilt and sadness rise in her gut. It was like she was seeing a younger version of herself, desperately searching for someone to play with her, trying to understand why other princesses didn’t like her and ignored her at the few gatherings the Sun Kingdom had had with the Federation. On one occasion, all the other princesses had played tag together, chasing each other round and round. When the shy, six year old Kagome had at last asked to join in, the other girls were silent for a moment. Then Minako had suggested they play hide and seek instead. Kagome had eagerly agreed- hide and seek had been one of her favorite games -and ran and hid while Makoto counted. Kagome had found the perfect place: a small, snug cabinet used to store mops and other janitorial supplies that the Moon Kingdom servants used to clean the marble floors of the palace. At first, Kagome had been elated when no one found her. Nearly twenty minutes had passed since the game had started. 

_They must all be looking for me now_ , Kagome had thought excitedly to herself. Imagining all the princesses trying to find her made her feel important and special, which she never felt like. Frequently lost in the myriad children of her father, she never received much attention on her own. Having all the princesses all focused on finding her- just her -was amazing. 

Another twenty minute passed. Then forty. After nearly an hour and a half in the cabinet, Kagome at last gave up. She left the cabinet, stretching her cramped muscles, and began to search the palace for the others. Though many people- all kinds of nobles, guards, and servants -had traversed the halls, none spoke to the little princess. Many had not even noticed, even though she’d worn her new, bright gold dress her father had bought her for the occasion of the special visit. 

When at last Kagome had found the princesses, they were all gathered in Serenity’s room. At the time, it had been covered in shades of bright pink, with dolls and cushions littered everywhere. It was a little girl’s paradise. The princesses sat in a circle, gaily chattering and talking back and forth. Kagome had hung back, watching through the crack in door, witnessing a scene she never was supposed to be involved in. 

“Think she’s still hiding?” Makoto had grinned. The others began to laugh. 

“I told you people from the Sun were stupid,” Minako said, with a toss of her hair. It had been as gold then as it was now, though a little bit shorter. 

“Now, Minako, there’s no scientific evidence of that-” Ami began, but Rei cut her off: 

“She didn’t even realize we never hid, and Makoto never went searching. She’s still hiding somewhere! What more proof do you need?” 

“Guys,” Serenity had begun, “Stop being so mean-”

Kagome never heard the rest of what she said, because she felt she’d heard enough. Tears prickling at her eyes, she blinked and ran away from the door, crying. 

She had never returned to the Moon Kingdom- until her father had told her she was going to be tutored there. Although Kagome had never forgotten that long ago day, she doubted the princesses even remembered it. 

_How things have changed_ , she thought. Now, the same five princesses were quickly becoming her best friends. They were moving mountains to get her and her father involved and accepted into mainstream Federation society. They included her in all their secrets, and all their exclusive events. They’d grown up.

Kagome had grown up too. 

Gazing at Risuyo, she knew her little sister would never be able to understand that though the other princesses liked Kagome (Risuyo had figured that out by the sleepovers Kagome had told her about), many in the Federaton were still biased against the Sun Kingdom. Her older sisters would be able to defend themselves, but there were plenty of people who’d take the opportunity to laugh at a star-eyed little girl. 

Swallowing the lump in her throat, Kagome said, “I’m sorry, Risuyo. Kagura’s right. It’s only for grown-ups.” Her heart broke at the crestfallen Risuyo’s face. She quickly added, “I promise I’ll bring you back something nice.” Hopefully, the gift bags Mars presented at the debutante balls were as wonderful as Kagome had heard. She promised herself she’d give Risuyo the best thing she could find in the bag. Risuyo said nothing, and hurriedly walked out of the room, holding back tears. 

“I feel terrible,” Kagome whispered, head in her hands. She always wanted Risuyo to be happy. Though she felt affection towards all of her siblings, Risuyo was special. Ever since she was born, she had played a large part in Kagome’s life. Kagome sometimes thought that she’d even raised Risuyo better than Risuyo’s own mother. Secretly, she thought Risuyo knew that, at least subconsciously. As such, she reached out to Kagome, and Kagome tried her hardest to make her happy. 

“Don’t,” Kagura said wisely, “You’re only trying to help her. She doesn’t understand now, but she will one day.”

“She shouldn’t have to understand prejudice."

“No, she shouldn’t," Kagura agreed, "However, unfortunately, it’s been around for ages. It will be around for many more.”   


* * *

  
Eventually, Kagome had decided to take Tali and Kagura. The two of them were thrilled, even Kagura, who did her best to hide it. Kagome, meanwhile, did _her_ best to forget the sadness of the morning by the time she went to the Moon Kingdom for lessons. She was going to a debutante ball! What was she going to wear? What would she do? Who would she dance with?

_Will Sesshomaru be there?_

“Your Highness!” Kagome heard Lady Crotchford’s familiar, scratchy voice snap. The older woman, with streaks of gray through her red hair, stood before her. Her long gown, also a dull gray, swept to the ground. Her eyes flashed with fire. 

“Yes, Lady Crawford?” Kagome said meekly. She had no desire to infuriate the woman today. If anything, she was hoping for a smooth, peaceful day in the Moon Kingdom and an easy transition to an exhilarating night in the Kingdom of Mars. 

_Eleven hours_ , Kagome told herself, _Eleven hours until the ball._ _That’s all you have to get through._ She sighed, twisting her hands in her dress. She hoped she could change it before the ball. It was a soft green, and although it was pretty in its own way, it was far too simple for a debutante ball. 

“You are late,” Lady Crotchford said darkly. 

“Well, yes,” Kagome began, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear, “and I’m sorry for that, but my younger sister was crying this morning, and-”

“Lateness is not tolerated in my class,” Lady Crotchford interrupted, utterly unsympathetic. 

Kagome replied, this time forcefully, “Yes, but Lady Crawford-”

The elder noble cut her off, and said sharply, “I can assure you that lateness will not be tolerated at the Martian ball this evening.” Kagome’s mouth dropped open. 

_What in the name of the stars is she insinuating? More importantly, how did she find out about my invitation? I only got it this morning!_

“Oh, yes. I am well aware that Princess Rei invited you and your father at the last minute. I can’t say I agree with her decision, but the fact is she DID invite you. I’ll let you in on a little secret, Your Highness,” Lady Crotchford leaned in, as if to tell her something very intimate, “Not many of the royalty or nobles agree with inviting people from the Sun Kingdom, either. They’re all going to be watching for you to trip up and make a mistake, which they’ll use to condemn you and smear your name. If you’re late, they’ll take it as a personal affront to Princess Rei and assume you think her unimportant, and that you do not view attending as an honor. In their minds, it will only confirm their opinions that those from the Sun Kingdom are low-class.” 

Kagome felt her blood begin to boil, “How dare you! We are _not_ low-class-” She was two steps away from slapping the woman when Lady Crawford interrupted her again:

“I know this may be hard for you to believe, Your Highness, but I really am speaking out of concern for you,” her gaze softened, though only slightly, “I admit, I used to share that opinion. However, you have convinced me that one should not always believe in stereotypes blindly.” 

Kagome wasn’t sure if this was supposed to be a compliment or not, but she was still furious. 

“The only reason I’m telling you this is because I know you want to be viewed as equal to the royals in the Sol System Federation. Nevertheless, I warn you,” Lady Crawford chuckled, “They’re a stubborn lot. It will take a lot to prove to them that you and your father are not barbarians. I’m not sure if Princess Rei realizes the kind of negative environment she’s put you in by inviting you. Whatever the case, you’ll need to be on your best behavior. You can’t afford to even smile incorrectly,” she paused, then smiled, “Therefore, I’m going to be very hard on you today. I’ll try to help you all I can in the next four hours, but after that, it’s up to you.” 

Kagome was torn between anger and gratitude. She didn’t quite know what to say, or really how to respond to that kind of statement. It seemed like Lady Crotchford was insulting her and trying to assist her in one breath. The question was, was Kagome going to let her help?

“I’m not sure whether I’m supposed to thank you,” she said cautiously, “but-”

“Oh, you must always say thank you. It’s a critical part of deportment," Lady Crawford assured her.

“-have you told any of the other princesses about this?”

Lady Crawford shook her head, “Not a soul. It wouldn’t do to upset them. They’d only insult anyone who tried to insult you, and that wouldn’t do well for your image- it would show you couldn’t hold your own in society. Even so, Your Highness, I believe you can.”  


* * *

  
True to her words, Lady Crawford was like a drill sergeant all day. She barked orders and corrections at Kagome endlessly, so much so that even the other princesses started to notice. 

Serenity, who was particularly perturbed by Lady Crawford’s focus on Kagome, whispered to Kagome when Lady Crawford wasn’t looking, “Lady Crotchford really is being crotchety today! I don’t know why she’s singling you out, Kagome. It’s like she’s has a personal vendetta against you,” she closed her eyes and sighed, as if horrified by Lady Crawford’s actions, “Do you want me to say something to her?”

Kagome recalled Lady Crawford’s words with perfect clarity: 

_“They’d only insult anyone who tried to insult you, and that wouldn’t do well for your image- it would show you couldn’t hold your own in society.”_

Filled with renewed courage, Kagome told the Moon Princess, “No, thank you. It’s all right. I can handle it.” She smiled at Serenity, who uncertainly smiled back. Kagome could tell she was worried about her. At the same time, Kagome knew Serenity was a bit confused and hurt as to why Kagome wouldn’t accept her assistance.

Despite Serenity’s misgivings, Kagome endured Lady Crotchford’s treatment all morning. When they broke for lunch, Kagome was the last of the princesses to leave. As she went to follow her friends, she saw a wrinkled hand on her arm. She turned to see Lady Crawford smiling at her. 

“You will be fine,”the woman side, giving her a squeeze. 

_I certainly hope so_ , Kagome thought. 

* * *

  
At lunch, the princesses were greeted with a surprise. Four handsome gentlemen were seated at the table. Rei’s face turned completely white: 

“Motoki?” 

The attractive blonde man garbed in orange smiled wildly at Rei before rushing to her and kissing her hand, and then her cheeks. His eyes- which were carbon copies of Minako’s -were fixed on her, and the look inside them was a mix of a childhood crush and utter adoration. He seemed to put Rei on a pedestal, and enjoyed appreciating her from there. Rei, for her part, did not like the attention at all. She hurriedly pulled back from him and rolled her eyes. Motoki didn’t seem to notice. He gazed at Rei with such unabashed admiration that Kagome had to stifle back a giggle. 

“Hello, Princess Rei,” Motoki said rapturously. 

“Okay, Motoki,” Minako said, stepping in between them and guiding her brother back to give Rei some space, “No public displays of affection, please. It goes against all the etiquette we just learned.” She smiled at him, but surreptitiously rolled her eyes at the others when he wasn’t looking. Once Motoki had been returned to his seat, the princesses all sat down, each across from a man. 

“Etiquette?” Amarion, who sat opposite Ami, raised his eyebrow, “Is that what they’re calling it these days? All the stupid rules? Frankly,” he said, “I don’t see what all the fuss is about a kiss on the cheek.” He winked at the girls. Noting Motoki’s hopeful glance (and Rei’s equally dismayed grimace), Minako surreptitiously kicked Amarion under the table for bringing up that idea. 

“Amarion,” the pale, though handsome man with dark hair and an equally dark suit seated to the prince’s left, said, “Stop it. You know etiquette is what forges our society. It makes us civilized,” his face darkening, he added, “It’s what separates us from demons. They have no rules.” 

Kagome was taken aback by the man’s statement. 

_Sesshomaru is **very** civilized!_ she found herself defending the demon lord, _He has more grace and etiquette than anyone I know! He follows rules! He’s an ambassador! He’s a prince! He knows laws-_ makes _laws -_

Her internal tirade was interrupted by Amarion’s subdued, “I’m sorry, Sojan. I didn’t mean to bring up any bad memories.” 

The man in the black suit closed his eyes and sighed, “I know, Amarion. Still, I cannot forgive the beasts who took Demetriana’s life.” 

Abruptly, Kagome realized who the man was: Prince Sojan, the elder brother of Hotaru, and the heir to Saturn. Rumor had it that the prince had taken the death of his sister hard. She had only been a year younger than him, and the two had been very close. Makoto had told her that it had been Sojan who had discovered a stunned Hotaru, covered in blood, standing over the dead body of her sister- the sister who had died to defend her. 

_Demetriana_ , Kagome tried out the name in her head. It sounded like someone from a myth, some impossibly beautiful, ethereal spirit that everyone tried to seek out for a blessing. Makoto had also told her that Sojan had vowed to avenge the death of his sister, although Kagome had never heard anyone say her name before. Seeing Sojan in a new light, Kagome examined him more closely. Sojan had silver eyes, a startling contrast with the rest of his features. His skin was extremely pale, almost ridiculously white, and his black hair was cut loosely, letting it hang slightly in his eyes. Two, slim crystal droplets hung from his ears. 

_How strange_ , Kagome thought to herself. She’d never seen any of the men wear what could only be described as earrings. Though they didn’t look bad on him- in fact, they seemed to suit him, making him appear like a fairy prince -they most definitely seemed like they would have belonged on a woman. 

Everyone at the table was silent for a moment. At last, Serenity awkwardly mumbled, clearly trying to comfort the prince as much as she could: 

“I’m sure she’s glad to know you remember her, Sojan.” 

Sojan gently fingered one earring, “I hope so.” 

Noting the care with which he treated it, Kagome wondered, _Those earrings...could they have been hers? Does he wear them to honor her?_ She couldn’t begin to imagine how hard it was to have such a blatant reminder of someone you loved- someone who had tragically died -with you every day. 

“I know she is,” Serenity said quietly, sneaking a glance at Hotaru. Hotaru had turned away from the others, her eyes filled with tears. One of her elbows rested on the table, and she held up her head wearily. It was as if she carried the weight of the world on her shoulders- or at least the burden of having to live up to someone’s memory. 

The servants began to serve the food. Kagome stared at the spread of dishes before her- steak, salad, mountains upon mountains of vegetables, potatoes, a giant crystal bowl of exotic fruits...

“Your Royal Highness,” one of the servants- whom Kagome recognized as Adira -curtsied to Serenity, “The count and countess left instructions for you. They said it was most important.” She handed the piece of parchment to the blonde princess, who opened it and scanned the paper in disbelief. 

Serenity sputtered, “Luna says we have to have specialized diets! To maximize our health and senshi powers! She left one for each of us!” Rei snatched the smaller papers out of her hands and passed them around.

Ami examined hers, then reached for a large steak. The girls mouths’ dropped open. Ami normally preferred salad, with maybe a slice of grilled chicken. At the princesses’ incredulous stares, Ami shrugged and said: 

“Well, it only makes sense. When we are at our physical peak, our senshi powers will also increase.” With that, she delicately cut the steak and began to eat. The other princesses (and the men, who had also received their own lists) followed her example. 

Serenity was still shell-shocked, “But look at my list! It’s terrible!” she showed it to Makoto, who raised her eyebrow:

“It says you need to eat lots of vegetables and less sweets, Serenity. Carrots are high on the list.” 

“Carrots?” Serenity moaned, “ _I hate carrots!_ ” She threw her head down on the table and groaned. Her blonde locks spilled everywhere, the end of one of her long ponytails finding its way into a soup bowl. 

Kagome was grateful that Serenity’s antics had seemed to relieve the tension in the room. Everyone laughed, smiled, and began to converse, except for Serenity and Rei. Serenity was still bemoaning her carrots, and Rei was trying to get her to eat them, spooning the carrots together and aiming them towards Serenity’s mouth, saying in a sing-song voice, “Come on, Serenity! Be a good girl and open up for the choo-choo train! CHOO-CHOO!” 

Kagome couldn’t help but laugh. She liked this side of the princesses- the giggly, fun-loving, and carefree side -much better than their serious, worried counterparts. They seemed the most free this way, outside the constraints of their royal roles. 

Seizing the relaxed moment, Kagome took the opportunity to mention what had bothering her since the lunch began: 

“Guys? Um...guys?” 

Everyone was too wrapped up in their own conversations (or choo-choo-ing) to hear her. They were still smiling and laughing, their voices growing louder and louder. 

At last, Kagome shouted, “Guys!” 

Abruptly, the entire room went silent. The princesses gazed at her, open-mouthed, while the men were clearly taken aback. Even the servants, who were busy clearing and adding plates, were surprised by her outburst. Now overly aware of the attention they paid her, Kagome blushed, then said meekly:

“Sorry for shouting,” she smiled, “but I don’t know who any of you gentlemen are. I’d just like to know your names if I’m going to spend the day with you.” Self-consciously, she tucked a strand of loose hair behind her ear. No one spoke for a moment, and Kagome wondered if maybe her request had been out of turn. What if she’d offended them? Lady Crotchford hadn’t quite told her what to do once the conversation turned from dead relatives to orange vegetables when one didn’t even _know_ the identities of those she was dining with. 

Finally, Amarion spoke up: 

“You know me, Kagome.”

“Well, yes,” she admitted, “But I don’t know _them_.” As one, the gentlemen stood. 

“I am Prince Ryo,” said the tall man with blue hair a slightly darker shade than Ami’s, “older brother to Ami, and Mercury Knight.” 

“I am Prince Motoki,” Motoki said, “Minako’s younger brother, Rei’s betrothed, and Venus Knight.” 

“And I am Prince Sojan,” Sojan said, drawing himself up to his full height, “elder brother of Hotaru and the slain Demetriana, and Saturn Knight.” 

“Well then,” Artemis’ voice smoothly interrupted, “As you’ve already met, let’s commence training now.”   


* * *

  
Kagome watched the practice fields from behind the fence as the princesses transformed once more. This time, though, they were accompanied by the knights. The princes appeared in polished armor the color of their planets, lined with white accents. Each bore a sword in their planetary color. Their planetary symbols blazed on their foreheads, unlike the princesses, whose royal marks were covered by their jeweled sailor tiaras. 

  
The four knights shadowed the senshi. Mercury Knight of course went to guard Sailor Mercury, Venus Knight to Sailor Venus (although he would glance longingly every so often at Sailor Mars), Saturn Knight to Sailor Saturn, and Uranus Knight to Sailor Uranus. 

Luna and Artemis bowed to the assembled group, then Artemis raised his head to address them: 

“Your Royal Highness,” he acknowledged Sailor Moon, “and Your Highnesses, it is an unprecedented event to have you all here, training together. In previous eons, you would be trained separately- knights with knights, senshi with senshi. However, you are all soldiers who defend and protect your planets. In this era, knights will have to stand beside and fight with senshi, and senshi will have to stand beside and fight with knights. Knights, you must stop following everything by military textbook. Senshi, you must learn to accept help.” 

Sailor Uranus snickered, but the others nodded. The knights and senshi regarded each other warily, as if unsure what to do with one another. 

“Very well then,” Luna said, “Let’s begin. First, you will face some projections.”

 _Projections?_ Kagome wondered. _What can she be talking about?_

As if in answer, Luna leaned up against the wall of the weapons shed and flicked an unseen switch. Immediately, one hundred shadowy figures appeared out of nowhere. Each flickered- clearly artificial -but their forms were hideous: giant centipedes, flying serpents, supernatural wolves with glowing teeth...

The senshi gasped, and the knights’ eyes widened. 

“What are _those_ things!?” Serenity shrieked. She hung back, repulsed by the creatures.

“Those ‘things,’” Artemis explained patiently, “are examples of the demons that currently ravage Earth. Our officers who have been assisting Queen Equinity with the attacks by the demons have saved archived footage of the demons they have fought- and destroyed. We have been able to manipulate the footage in order to create a training exercise for you.” 

“So...” Minako trailed off, “We have to fight them.” She examined the writhing projections critically, up and down. She seemed to be searching for any sign of weakness in them. 

“Yes,” Luna confirmed. 

“Well then,” Minako shrugged, and cast a glance to Setsuna, “What are we waiting for?” Setsuna twirled her Garnet Rod around once in answer. With that, the Senshi of Love and Beauty ran forward and began to kick and punch the demons. 

_Wow_ , Kagome thought in awe, _She’s...she’s really good!_ Minako roughly threw a demon to the side, smashing the projection into another one. Both the projections hissed as they tumbled over and away. Meanwhile, a tide of four projections rushed toward Sailor Venus. In response, she looked at them indignantly, then elegantly pointed a finger their way: 

“VENUS! CRESCENT BEAM!” she called out, “SMASH!” A surge of golden light collected near her index finger before flashing once, then sailing out to obliterate the projections in front of her. They faded into nothing, and Sailor Venus quickly turned her attention to another demon. 

Sailor Pluto, meanwhile, had been holding her own. She’d begun herding the projections into a circle by confusing them. Ingeniously, she traveled through time in a matter of seconds- seemingly appearing in numerous places at once. This caused the projections to go for each of the many different Sailor Plutos that appeared- Sailor Plutos who were no longer really there. 

When Sailor Pluto had gathered about twenty altogether, she twirled her Garnet Rod triumphantly, and whispered: 

“Dead Scream.” 

The pink ball of flaring energy which had so entranced the senshi during their previous practice made short work of the projections. They screamed as they were caught up in its wave, but none could escape the trap Sailor Pluto had set for them. 

Finally, the other senshi and the knights seemed to snap out of their daze. 

“Vile scum,” Saturn Knight muttered, before he raised his sword and also ran to face off against a group of the wolves. Mercury, Venus, and Uranus Knights followed in his wake. Together, they formed a triangular formation with Saturn Knight at the head. 

“SATURN! EXECUTIONER’S BLADE!” Saturn Knight shouted. His sword glowed with deep purple light, then became unnaturally sharp. He swung it around his head, and the circle of projections around him crumbled into dust, neatly sliced in two. 

Kagome was impressed by Saturn Knight’s ease with his sword. Mercury Knight seemed born to wield his sword as well- he was quickly dispatching projections left and right and even freezing other projections for the others to attack at their leisure. As she gazed at the knights, she couldn’t help but feel that Sesshomaru would also have been wonderful with a sword. In fact, she thought he would have put all of them to shame. Kagome blushed as she began to have an entertaining fantasy, one in which Sesshomaru was defending her from a legion of soldiers. 

_Where is he, anyway?_ she thought idly, and a bit sadly, as she surreptitiously checked the gardens and the balconies of the palace for any sign of the demon prince- but saw nothing. She’d figured that after their conversation the other day, he would have at least come to training to see her again. She’d thought they’d shared something, but maybe not. Kagome sighed and trained her eyes back on the battle. 

Uranus Knight lifted his own blade before turning around to cover Venus Knight- who instead of focusing on the projections before him was frantically observing the ones who were battling Sailor Mars. He roughly pushed the younger man backwards, then held his golden scimitar before him: 

“URANUS! SPACE SWORD BLASTER!” Unlike Saturn Knight, Uranus Knight held his own blade in front of him, where the golden light grew and grew until the sword nearly crackled energy. He thrust the sword at the projections, and each of them disappeared in a brilliant flash of light. 

Sailor Mars said, “Come on, girls! Why should we let the boys have all the fun?” She casually kicked a projection to her left, then shouted, “MARS! FIRE SOUL!” A fireball leapt from her finger tips, circling around and around before burning the closest ten projections. 

“Agreed,” Sailor Jupiter growled before prepping her own attack, “JUPITER! SUPREME THUNDER!” She jumped into the air and crossed her arms before her as electricity crackled around her tiara. When she threw her arms out, the electricity followed, spiraling out in a cascade of lightning. She too took down several projections. 

Kagome watched them in a mixture of shock and envy. They were so different from their normal selves- she could hardly imagine Minako sucker punching anyone, but here she was, whacking every other projection, then smashing others with her energy powers. All the senshi seemed so sure of themselves and so confident in their powers that it seemed to be impossible for anything to defeat them. The knights were impressive as well. Kagome had never seen them fight before, but they worked together well, and almost more cohesively than the senshi. It was clear that they’d spent more time as a unit than the princesses. 

_I wonder if I’ll ever be able to fight like that_ , Kagome mused. She imagined herself in the fuku of Sailor Sun, long gloves reaching up her arms, a beautiful golden tiara on her forehead-

“I’m so sorry I’m late!” the sickeningly sweet voice crowed- again. 

_Not likely_ , Kagome thought darkly, both about herself fighting as Sailor Sun and about Narchesa’s apology as she saw her sister approach. Narchesa was already in her senshi uniform, but she looked about as ready to fight as an over-indulged kitten. She balked when she saw the projections, but quickly recovered and replaced her fear and confusion with her simpering smile. 

The battle stopped abruptly, the senshi and the knights focusing their attention on the newcomer. Unsurprisingly, Luna and Artemis were annoyed at the interruption. Luna sighed and shut the switch, and the projections immediately disappeared. 

“Princess Narchesa,” Artemis addressed her, his tone thick with disapproval, “How kind of you to join us.” 

“Thank you,” Narchesa smiled at them, “Again, I’m sorry. I just had a bit of a wardrobe issue-”

“You’re wearing senshi fuku,” Luna pointed out, eyes narrowed. Her arms were crossed in front of her.

All at once, Kagome understood why Lady Crawford had been so firm with the lateness. Luna and Artemis were clearly offended, and she doubted they’d even bother trying to help Narchesa today. A little guiltily, Kagome found she couldn’t blame them. 

“I know,” Narchesa began, “but I had to be properly dressed for the Moon Kingdom, you know. And the gown I was planning to wear dragged in the mud, so of course I had to change it-”

“Princess Narchesa,” Artemis sounded as if he wanted to laugh, “even if you were so concerned about your gown, no one would have likely noticed it. You’re spending the majority of your training here in fuku. The last thing we care about is your gown! We care about your proper training as a Sailor Senshi!” 

For once, Narchesa seemed a little guilty. Her smile started to disappear. Before Luna and Artemis could berate her again, a soft smooth voice cut in: 

“Hello, Count, Countess.”

Artemis’ and Luna’s attention was diverted from Narchesa to a handsome couple standing in the grassy area just at the entrance to the practice fields. Disbelievingly, Kagome looked at them as well. Her eyes widened at the sight, and she felt her heart clench. 

Kikyo wore a dark navy gown today. It was simpler than other gowns Kagome had seen her in, wrapping gently like a slim-fitting kimono around her body. It just brushed the ground, keeping it away from the dirt and mud Narchesa was so fearful of. Kikyo sported delicate slippers lined in silver stitching to match her gown. A sapphire choker rested on her throat. A thin silver circlet was on her forehead, a tiny sapphire swinging gently back and forth above the symbol of Andromeda on her brow. Beside her, with one of her hands tucked under his arm, stood Sesshomaru. He had traded his normal white robes for navy ones to match Kikyo’s. He did not wear a sapphire on his brow like her, but Kagome still kept her gaze fixed on his face for any sign of emotion.

_Why....why is he...why is he with Kikyo?_ she thought frantically, _Makoto said they didn’t love each other...and the other day- I thought-_

“Greetings, Your Imperial Highness,” Luna curtsied, “It’s wonderful to see you.” 

“And you, Countess,” Kikyo replied. Her long black hair swayed elegantly in the wind. She looked every inch a princess. Sesshomaru’s own white hair was delicately entwined with hers as the wind wrapped around both of them. They seemed absolutely perfect for each other. 

Kagome wanted to kill Kikyo.

Now she felt indignant for her sister. Why was Kikyo getting preferential treatment, anyway? Just because she was princess of a galaxy didn’t mean she should be allowed to stroll in and interrupt practice whenever she wanted, especially when Narchesa was chastised for showing up late because she’d wanted to dress correctly!

“How was the meeting with Her Majesty?” Artemis inquired. 

“It went very well, thank you,” Kikyo smiled, “We were just discussing the civilization flourishing on Earth. Queen Serenity seems to be very intrigued by the planet, though my mother remembers when it was entirely barren. My mother and I are wondering if a crystal lies at its core, and if an increase in its size is perhaps the reason for the planet's sudden prosperity.” Luna and Artemis nodded gravely, as if entranced by Kikyo’s words. Meanwhile, Kagome tried desperately to make eye contact with Sesshomaru, but the demon lord seemed determined not to notice her. Instead, his gaze was fixed on the count and countess. He too was apparently enthralled by Kikyo’s conversation. 

Luna abruptly straightened, then said as if she had snapped as if out of a daze, “Your Imperial Highness, are you also here to fulfill Queen Serenity’s request?”

“Of course,” Kikyo nodded vigorously, “I was honored by her invitation.” Kagome could hardly bear to watch Kikyo and Sesshomaru anymore, and turned away a bit to her right. 

For the first time, Kagome noticed the princess’ bodyguard. He was dressed in his usual outfit of red, and leaning up against the control shed. He’d slunk in, unseen by the others, who were dazzled by Kikyo and Sesshomaru. His eyes were heavy-lidded and half closed, and his arms were crossed in front of him. Nevertheless, from what Kagome could see of him, he too was watching Kikyo and Sesshomaru, and he did not look happy. In fact, as Kagome squinted to see more of his eyes- which were a yellow, distinct from Sesshomaru’s gold -he was downright angry. 

_What’s his name again?_ Kagome struggled to remember, then all at once it came to her, _Inuyasha. That’s right. Inuyasha. Sesshomaru’s brother._

It was still hard for her to accept that Sesshomaru had a brother, let alone that he was Kikyo’s bodyguard. He seemed a far cry from the sad little boy from Sesshomaru’s story. Still, as she compared the two now, she could see definite similarities between them: the long white hair, the strange eye colors, the same intensity in their gazes...

“Very well,” Artemis’ response attracted Kagome’s attention again. He turned to the senshi and the knights and said: 

“Queen Serenity asked that Princess Kikyo assist you all in your training as a senshi, and she has graciously accepted.” 

Kagome’s mouth dropped open. 

As Kikyo revealed a gorgeous black star-shaped locket, raised it to the sky, and shouted, “ANDROMEDA GALACTIC POWER, MAKE-UP!” Kagome couldn’t see how this could get any worse. 

* * *

  
She was proven wrong when Sesshomaru walked over to her side of the fence and stood next to her. She tried to ignore how handsome he looked in his blue robes. 

“Good afternoon, Kagome,” he said. Although he didn’t smile, his tone was warmer than she’d ever heard it. 

Kagome didn’t bother replying. Instead, she deliberately stared at the practice field and pursed her lips. Watching the senshi and the knights was preferable to talking to the demon lord right now. 

The count and countess has ordered up a new round of projections. The senshi were trying to fight, but were utterly in awe of Kikyo, who took out whole scores of them by herself. Aside from her incredible power and technique, she also had a distinctly different fuku from the other senshi. Her bodysuit was black as as the night sky, with long elegant silver gloves stretching up nearly to her shoulders. Her skirt and collar were both dark purple- even darker than Sailor Saturn’s colors -and a transparent layer of black silk was also visible under her skirt. Her tiara was silver, and marked with a black star with a purple jewel in its very center. Her bows were both white, and silver stars accented many portions of her fuku- earrings, collar, and skirt. She sported thigh high black boots. Like Sailor Pluto, she also carried a talisman in the form of a staff which Luna referred to as the “Orb of Andromeda.” Sailor Andromeda apparently had a variety of attacks, but she used two frequently, and to devastating effect: 

“ANDROMEDA! BLACK HOLE! COLLAPSE!” in which she twirled her staff once, then slammed it into the ground, which caused a black hole to form, suck in a variety of projections, then close on them, as well as 

“ANDROMEDA! STELLAR INCINERATION!” in which she twirled her staff numerous times, causing bright stars to cascade out of the talisman and rush into numerous projections, destroying them instantly. 

The other senshi- especially Sailor Venus and Sailor Pluto -tried their best to keep up with her. Sailor Moon seemed more overwhelmed than anything else, but threw her tiara around with gusto whenever she got the chance. The knights also tried to keep up with her, slashing left and right. Still, for every three projections the others destroyed, Kikyo destroyed twelve. 

Sesshomaru, upon observing the battle, commented, “None of them know what they are doing. The knights cannot break military formation to actually _fight_. Not everything is going to operate by textbook standards. The senshi seem unaware how to work together to begin with. No one is strategizing at all. In a real battle, they would be quickly defeated.” 

Kagome still didn’t want to talk with him- she was stung by him ignoring her for Kikyo -but she had to admit he had a point. The knights were stiff, and if someone so much as tripped the wrong way, Sojan was incensed and they had to start all over again. The senshi didn’t seem to grasp the concept of being a team, and each of them worked alone. It made them vulnerable to attack, especially as no one was watching out for the other. Most interestingly, the knights and the senshi didn’t combine their powers. It was if none of them noticed that the other group was there at all. 

The only one who this seemed to have no effect on was Kikyo, who was quite capable of handling herself. As she obliterated yet another round of projections, Sesshomaru commented: 

“Princess Kikyo, however, is fighting admirably.” 

Kagome merely humphed in response, then rolled her eyes.

_Geez, does he have to rub it in? I mean, I get she’s super pretty and they’re betrothed, but really, do we have to go on about what a perfect soldier she is too?_

Finally realizing there was something amiss, Sesshomaru turned to Kagome, eyes full of concern, and asked, “Kagome, are you all right?”

Kagome merely glared at him, then sighed and returned to watching the battle. The demon lord was clearly taken aback, and he questioned warily: 

“Kagome?”

Before she could even think about whether to dignify him with a reply, Sailor Andromeda called out. Apparently, Luna and Artemis had decided to turn off the projections, and were currently berating the knights and senshi for not following the initial advice they had been given. They wanted Sailor Andromeda and Sesshomaru to demonstrate: 

“My lord, the count and countess would like us to fight together! They want us to show the princes and princesses how to work as a group and also how to improvise! If you would please...?” Sailor Andromeda trailed off. The whole company’s attentions were now fixed on Sesshomaru, who was still gazing at Kagome in confusion and concern. 

The silence dragged on. 

At last, he gave a short bow to Kagome and said, “I am sorry for whatever I have done to offend you, Your Highness.” 

Then he left to join the senshi and the knights on the practice field, where of course, he put all the knights to shame with his swordsmanship, as Kagome knew he would. 

* * *

  
“Oh, my back!” Serenity complained as they finally returned to the Moon Palace after practice. The exhausted senshi and knights followed in her wake. 

“What a practice!” Minako said, “I’m absolutely covered in sweat!” She gestured to her fuku to demonstrate, “I’m so gross I’m not even going to change into my gown until I shower!” 

“Well,” Rei retorted, “You all should be ready for my party tonight!” she smiled wide, “It’s going to be amazing!” 

“Wouldn’t miss it,” Amarion winked at her. The others laughed, even Sojan, who had been stoic throughout the practice. The knights waved as they left to go change in the men’s locker room (the locker rooms were located close to the practice fields. Usually the guards used them, but now the knights and senshi did as well). The senshi wearily waved back. 

“You know,” Michiru said, “I know it was hard...but watching Kikyo- imagine what we could be like!” Setsuna smiled, and Haruka nodded in agreement. 

“Definitely. She was amazing. I’d be proud to be able to fight like her. In fact, I fully intend to,” Haruka gratefully accepted a wet towel from one of the servants as they headed into the women’s locker room. The other princesses guzzled from water bottles that had been provided for them. Only Hotaru was hesitant. She still seemed sad, and not ready to accept the mantle Demetriana had left behind. She gingerly sipped her own water, but the other princesses didn’t notice. 

Makoto undid her hair, shaking out her long brown locks, “Me too. And I have to say, Lord Sesshomaru wasn’t that bad either.” She pointedly ignored Serenity’s gasp of shock. 

“Not bad?” Ami said, wrapping a towel around herself as she prepared to go shower, “He was fantastic! The other knights only had a striking accuracy of about 60% to 70%. Sesshomaru’s was around 99%!” 

_Took them long enough to notice_ , Kagome grumbled to herself. She found herself alternating hating and being proud of Sesshomaru for his actions today. She couldn’t stand being confused, and her mood was only worsening with the princess’ discussion. 

Fortunately for Kagome, Rei was solely concerned with her coming out party. She was frantically scrubbing herself in the shower, and kept conversing with the others through the curtain. At the moment, she yelled: 

“Either way, I don’t really care about Sesshomaru right now! There’s only one guy I’m concerned about!” Her voice was slightly muffled by the water, but they could still hear her loud and clear. 

Setsuna asked, “Is this the mysterious Lord Jedite we’ve heard so much about?” She was brushing her green hair, and a small smile played at her lips. The other princesses giggled. Rei shouted indignantly: 

“ _Setsuna_! That’s not fair! You already know everything, don’t you?”

The elder princess laughed, “Well, not quite, Rei. I know _some_ things. I haven’t been allowed to travel into the future yet, but I have been allowed to go into the past. Let me tell you, Jedite was quite the...interesting child.” Michiru, who was pulling on a soft blue shift, raised her eyebrow. Minako, however, was the more demanding of the two. She strode up to Setsuna and said: 

“Interesting how?” 

“Well,” Setsuna smirked, “It seems he was afraid of spiders.” 

“Arachnophobia?” Ami called from the shower. As usual, she was on top of the information and technical terms. 

Serenity jumped to Jedite’s defense (no doubt because he was Endymion’s friend), “Well, it’s a natural fear. I mean, I’m afraid of spiders. They’re disgusting!” She made a face, wrinkling her nose. 

“Well, yes,” Setsuna’s smirk only grew wider, “but it seems that whenever Jedite ran into a spider, he wet his pants.” 

The princesses burst into laughter, even Hotaru. Kagome couldn’t help laughing too. She couldn’t imagine Jedite, who was so suave at the ball, as wetting his pants. Now that she thought about it...it was quite a comical image, actually. The famous Earthan general who had led numerous campaigns, wetting his pants at the sight of a simple spider! 

“Doesn’t matter!” Rei sing-songed from her own shower stall, “I don’t care! He’s perfect, fear of spiders or otherwise.” As she stepped out of the shower, elegantly wrapping a towel around her head, and a second around her body, she cast hopeful eyes on the princesses.

“I want him to be my date tonight,” she declared. Serenity’s mouth dropped open, and the princesses stared at her with glances of sympathy. 

“Rei,” Makoto sighed, “You know that’s not going to happen. You’re betrothed to Motoki,” she looked Rei straight in the eye, “Besides, it’s not as if your parents are going to invite the Earthans anyway.” 

“Don’t you think the invite is a little late?” Ami interjected. 

“Well, I invited Kagome this morning!” Rei retorted. Her eyes flashed. 

“Yes,” Makoto said patiently, “This _morning_. Kagome’s had a little time to prepare. If you were going to invite the Earthans now, they’d have barely two and a half hours to get ready, never mind arrive-” 

The conversation was cut off by the arrival of Kikyo. The beautiful princess had stayed behind to discuss training tips with Luna and Artemis, but she had apparently finished and found the locker room on her own. Kagome had churlishly hoped that she would get lost, or maybe snobbily insist on a private changing room, but obviously Kikyo was just too perfect. 

Kagome sighed. She didn’t _really_ hate the princess. In fact, from her limited interactions with her, Kikyo seemed very kind and gracious. Kagome was just upset with Sesshomaru for spending time with her when he could have spending time with Kagome. After the other day, she had felt so connected with Sesshomaru, as if they’d shared an important bond. He’d seemed to think she was important then. He’d told him to call her by his first name! 

But if he really thought she was important, why did he act like nothing was wrong? Why did he show up at practice with Kikyo today?

“Hello,” Kikyo said. She accepted a water bottle from Haruka with a polite ‘thank you,’ and gratefully sipped some of the cool liquid. She sat down on a chair, seemingly content to chat with the princesses. 

The other princesses murmured soft hellos, apparently all clammed up now. None of them were sure if Rei wanted the Andromedan royal to know about her love for Jedite. It probably wouldn’t be a good subject to bring up. However, Kikyo was very astute, and knew immediately by the suddenly quiet princesses that she’d walked in on something important. 

“Please, do not stop on my account,” she said sincerely. There was long a moment of silence, then Rei continued on as if nothing had happened: 

“I know, Makoto. But I still want Jedite to be my date.” 

“Rei!” Minako hissed warningly. She (not so) surreptitiously tilted her head towards Kikyo, who stifled a giggle. The other girls looked at the princess incredulously. That was not the reaction they’d been expecting. 

“Jedite?” Kikyo inquired, one eyebrow raised, “Who is he?”

“Lord Jedite of the Shitennou States, protector and best friend of Prince Endymion of Earth,” Rei said impatiently, “I love him-” 

“Oh, no. Here she goes again,” Ami sighed. 

“-and I want him to be my date to my coming out party tonight, but I’m betrothed to Motoki, who’s about as romantic as that wall.” Kikyo laughed, the sound like a peal of twinkling bells. 

“However,” Makoto cut in, “Rei’s parents would never invite the Earthan royals, never mind so close to the party.” 

Kikyo folded her hands in her lap, as if deep in thought. After a few moments, she stood up, gathered her things, and began to walk towards the door. As she opened the door to leave, she turned over her shoulder and said simply: 

“Princess Rei, if I’m not mistaken, I’m also going to your ball tonight as the official representative of the Empire of the Galaxy of Andromeda. Might I add that as the Princess of Andromeda I am very interested in meeting the royals of this new civilization. Perhaps you could pass the word onto your parents.” 

With that, Kikyo winked and swept off into the palace. 

“Did she just suggest what I think she just suggested?” Serenity asked, stunned. The princesses were open-mouthed in astonishment, including Kagome. 

Grudgingly, she conceded, _Maybe there’s more to Kikyo than meets the eye._

The other princesses seemingly agreed, as Minako gleefully said: 

“Oh, she most definitely _did_.” 

They all looked at each other, weighing the idea in their minds. 

“Go on,” Haruka urged Rei, eyes twinkling, “I dare you.” 

Rei smiled. 


	9. Night of Nights

Kagome stepped off the Royal Solarian Starship with Tali, Kagura, and her father. She barely had time to take in the exotic landscape- pink sand and soil overrun with white water and red palm trees -before Martian guards armed with fearsome looking spears hustled toward them. 

_Oh no,_ Kagome thought, _Please tell me Rei’s parents told the guards we were supposed to be here!_ She nervously smoothed her gown as a guard approached her, the royal crest of Mars emblazoned on his breastplate. 

“Princess Kagome Kiori of the Sun Kingdom?” 

Kagome nodded, “Yes. These are my guests, Princess Tali and Princess Kagura of the Sun Kingdom, and of course, you know my father.” She nodded towards Savitr, who stood slightly behind her. 

The guards eyed the Sun King, who was dressed in his best. He was completely clothed in gold, from his lordly outer robe to his elaborate undershirt, studded with Solarian rubies. Even his shoes were made from the precious material. Upon his head was a large golden crown, also set with rubies. It was his grandest crown, and he only wore it on very special occasions. 

Kagome was proud of him. Dressed like this, she thought he truly deserved his nickname of “King Savitr the Magnificent.” Clearly, the guards thought so too, as they quickly bowed to him. 

“Your Majesty,” the guards gave a deep bow to Savitr, then a slightly higher one to the princesses, “Your Highnesses. If you would please follow us.” The head guard beckoned for them, and began to lead the way down a path of smooth pink stone. As Kagome, King Savitr, Tali, and Kagura took their places after him, the remaining guards formed a tight rectangle around the Sun royals. At first, Kagome was worried they were inspecting them as potential barbarians. Then she noticed the relaxed way they carried their spears, and she thought in wonder:

_They’re an escort! A Martian escort...for_ us! 

She snuck a peek at her sisters and her father. Savitr was utterly nonplussed, or at least he seemed to be. He had to be surprised at this preferential treatment, but he never showed it. He carried himself like a true king, regal and proud. Tali and Kagura, meanwhile, were unable to contain their excitement. They were smiling at each other in shock and joy, and Tali practically clapped her hands like a child. 

Kagome couldn’t help but smile a bit herself. 

Leaving her sisters to themselves, she allowed herself a minute to examine the Martian Palace. She knew she probably wouldn’t have the opportunity again. Unlike the Moon Palace, which was all rounded domes and spires, the Martian Palace was actually quite flat. It was mostly a low building, with various sections twisting around each other like a maze. On the four outermost corners of the palace, as well as the middle of the palace, there were five additional floors, making five separate towers. Each of the floors had a separate, sloping roof, and to Kagome’s surprise, there were small bells attached to each corner of the roofs. Also to her surprise, aside from the roofs, which were colored a deep red, the rest of the outside of the palace bore none of Mars’ official colors. The walls were a soft ivory, with swirling patterns of brown and gold on upon them. Any windows on the walls were quite small. 

Kagome didn’t quite know what to make of it, but she thought it was beautiful. 

As they approached the main doors of the palace- which were giant and made of a gorgeous oak -the guards at the doors bowed to them, then swung the heavy doors open. When they entered the palace, eight of the ten guards in their escort bowed and returned outside. The remaining two- who had been at the foot and the head of their escort, respectively -became their guides through the myriad halls of the palace. Inside, the lighting was low, shadows cast by flames in small sconces. The floors were a smooth, polished oak, while the interior walls were the same ivory color as the outside. Potted palms were placed every few feet in the halls. What Kagome eventually realized were paper screens served as doors from room to room. 

All in all, it was vastly different from the Moon Palace, which was all cold marble and soaring ceilings. The Mars Palace, in contrast, was warm light and inviting wood. It was as if the Moon Palace showed the wealth and power of the kingdom by openly displaying it in every aspect of the architecture, while the Mars Palace showed the wealth and power of the kingdom in a more subtle manner which somehow served as a more elegant way to do so- as though one was expected to already know that the Mars Kingdom was rich, and there was no need to be ostentatious about it. 

Though Kagome preferred the low key manner of the Mars Palace, she had to admit it was very difficult to navigate. Without the assistance of the guards, she doubted they would ever have arrived at their destination. 

“Your Majesty,” the guards bowed once more, “Your Highnesses.” They gently pulled the paper screens apart. 

Instead of the ballroom Kagome had been expecting, there was instead open, beautiful garden. Soft, pink sand covered the ground, with palms and other exotic flowers adorning the corners of the garden. Vines climbed the sides of the palace. Some red stones were strategically placed in patterns on the sand- most resembling a flame, although one set was a life-size representation of Rei! 

Kagome sucked in a breath, _Wow! This might be an even bigger deal than I thought._ She’d always known the debutante balls were huge, but this was...

“Oh!” Tali babbled, “Look at that!” she pointed one finger towards the very center of the garden. Kagura and Kagome gasped. Rising up from the very center of the garden was a giant tower of fire. The flames weaved around each other, and at nearly twenty feet tall, stretched into the sky. It was a breathtaking image, only augmented by the black sky and silver stars behind it. 

“Hi, Kagome!” 

Kagome shrieked in surprise. She turned around to find a giggling Serenity, one hand delicately held over her mouth. As always, her hair was styled in the royal odango of the Moon Kingdom. Nevertheless, she wore a pale pink dress stretching to the ground. To Kagome’s shock, she wore no shoes, though her toenails were painted a pretty pink to match her gown. 

“Hi, Serenity,” Kagome exhaled, “You scared me!” 

“I know,” the Moon Princess giggled, “but it was too good to resist!” noticing Tali and Kagura for the first time, she smiled and said, “and you are....?” she trailed off sheepishly, “I remember meeting both of you before under- well, unpleasant circumstances -but I’m sorry to say I don’t remember your names.”

Kagura laughed and tossed her hair over her shoulder, “It’s all right. There’s a lot of us. I wouldn’t expect you to remember each and every sibling whose hand you shook that day. I’m Kagura.”

“And I’m Tali, Your Royal Highness,” Tali said, wide-eyed. She was clearly starstruck. She gave a little curtsy, but Serenity quickly pulled her out of it. 

“Please, call me Serenity!” the Moon Princess smiled again. Tali’s eyes grew even wider, and she smiled and nodded rapidly. 

“Of course Your- I mean, Serenity!” 

“Your Royal Highness, Your Highnesses,” a young servant girl curtsied to them, “Forgive me for the interruption, but I feel you will be more comfortable if we were to take your shoes.” 

Kagome looked at Serenity, who nodded in confirmation, “It’s all right. It’s a common gesture of hospitality to honored guests on Mars.” 

“Indeed,” Ami chirped from behind them, “If you are asked to remove your shoes, it shows that the hosts are comfortable enough with you to welcome you into their home.”

“Besides,” Minako added, “Martian sand has long been known to be great for exfoliation!” She wiggled her own toes, which were painted a slightly darker pink than Serenity’s, in the sand. 

Taking their conversation as a sign of affirmation, the servant girl carefully removed their shoes. She curtsied once more, then retreated into the halls of the palace with them. 

“Thank you!” Kagome called after her. As she turned around to face the princesses, she couldn’t help asking:

“Guys, not to be rude, but where did you come from?”

Minako laughed, “Well, we’ve been here for about an hour. We were all on the moon anyway, and it didn’t take too long to get here, so we’ve kind of been waiting for Rei to show up. It’s really boring, actually,” she pouted, “The fun won’t start until she comes into the garden-”

“So, basically,” Serenity said, “We’ve been bored to tears, and we practically pounced on you because you were the first new thing here in an hour!”

_That’s reassuring,_ Kagome thought dryly. Out loud, she said, “Thanks.”

“You’re welcome,” Ami smiled. She introduced herself to Tali and Kagura, and Minako followed suit. Minako quickly became ensconced with the Solarian princesses’ summer ballgowns, which were much shorter and lighter than traditional ballgowns and hit just above the knees. 

“Your gowns are absolutely gorgeous!” she gushed, “Kagome showed me Solarian summer ball gowns first, and I think they’re just so...unique! I mean, Serenity- look at that stitching!” She pointed to Kagura’s gown, which was a a light red. Gold threads were interwoven throughout it, creating impressive patterns of birds in flight. Serenity and Minako were equally impressed with Tali’s gown, which complemented Kagura’s and had gold stitching of a variety of orchids. 

Kagome could hardly hide her pride. She’d returned to the Sun Kingdom after lessons to dress, and to help her nervous sisters. Against her better judgment, she’d made them all wear summer ball gowns. 

_We shouldn’t be ashamed of being Solarian,_ she’d thought, _and besides...our summer gowns are some of our best._

She was glad to know her risky decision had paid off. Practically beaming with happiness, she almost didn’t notice the tall, statuesque woman rapidly walking over to their group. The woman was thin and wore layers of transparent red and pink silk, which creating a billowing, robe-like effect that also served to complement her figure beneath. Her long black hair was set in an elaborate twist- was that the shape of a phoenix? -and red threads were woven into the twist. She had a small, but nevertheless elegant, crown of rubies on her head. 

“Good evening to you, ladies,” she said. 

“Good evening, Queen Ariesna,” the girls dutifully chirped back. Kagome hurriedly added her voice to the chorus. Unlike them, she’d had no idea who the woman was. However, now knowing her identity, she could definitely see the resemblance between Rei and her mother. Both had the same light bone structure and dark hair. 

“Queen Ariesna,” Serenity said, tucking a strand of blonde hair over her shoulder, “May we introduce Princesses Kagome Kiori, Tali Indira, and Kagura Kadambini of the Sun Kingdom?”

The queen shifted her gaze to the three newcomers. Kagome forced herself not to shrink under the link.

_You can handle yourself,_ Kagome thought, _Remember what Lady Crotchford said-_

“Your Majesty,” Kagome sunk into a perfect queenly curtsy, “It’s an honor to meet you. Thank you so much for your gracious invitation to attend tonight’s celebration.” 

_I hope I got that right,_ she fretted, _I practiced that for hours, but-_

Queen Ariesna raised one eyebrow, “You’re welcome...Princess. It’s a pleasure to meet you as well. My daughter is quite fond of you.”

“I am glad of her favor,” Kagome replied dutifully. The other princesses’ eyes nearly bugged out of their heads. They obviously hadn’t expected to know the ancient traditional responses in the Martian Formal Greeting Ceremony. Judging by Ariesna’s surprised face, she hadn’t either. Nevertheless, Kagome could tell the queen was pleased about this particular surprise. 

“Well...” Ariesna trailed off uncertainly, “welcome to the Mars Kingdom, Princess Kagome, Princess Tali, Princess Kagura,” turning her attention to the group as a whole, she added, “Rei has informed me that she’d like you all- her friends, and the other royal princes and princesses, of course -to stand towards the left of the entrance doors. She says you will have the best view of her entrance there.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty,” the girls chorused. Kagome was practically giddy. The queen had counted her among Rei’s friends! She’d called her “Princess!” She was so thrilled about the mark of respect. 

As they made their way across the Martian garden, they caught sight of all the other planetary princes and princesses. After murmuring the requisite hellos and how-are-you’s, Kagome noticed there was one royal princess conspicuously missing- and Lord Sesshomaru with her. Kagome pushed down the wave of jealously. 

“Where’s Kikyo?” she asked Setsuna. Uncharacteristically, the Plutonian princess wore a light red gown, and it matched her scarlet eyes. She looked very pretty, although she seemed a bit uncomfortable in the paler colors. 

“I don’t know,” she replied, her eyes shifting among the crowd, “It’s not like her to be late.” Still, Setsuna smiled at Kagome, and said:

“Though I’m sure it’s not Kikyo you’re really asking about.” 

Kagome immediately blushed, then retorted, “You know, it’s not fair you get to know all these secret things and no one else does.”

Setsuna laughed, then grew serious, “Actually, it’s quite a burden. I have to hide that I know certain things, and I have to force myself not to interfere. It’s rather...difficult,” she trailed off, then abruptly changed the subject, “but I assure you, from my observations, it’s not like Lord Sesshomaru to be very late either. I’m sure both of them have a good reason for it.

“In fact,” she added, “there they are now.”

Kagome turned and felt her heart clench at what she saw. Kikyo had entered the garden on Sesshomaru’s arm. As servants rushed to remove their shoes, she politely thanked them. Both were dressed impeccably. Unlike most of the other guests in the room, who wore pink or light red (as a homage to Mars’ major official color), she wore a purple gown (a nod to Mars’ second official color, as well as one of her own galaxy’s official colors) dyed in an ochre style. The top was white, which slowly progressed into a pale lilac, then purple, at least ending in a dark violet on the floor. It was simple, and not at all flashy. Purple flowers were braided into her hair. It was a perfect fit for a ball in a garden, as well as a ball in which she was not the guest of honor. Sesshomaru was dressed completely in white. It was not a far cry from his normal outfits, but the elegant suit fit him flawlessly. He had no sword tonight- at least visibly - but his violet tattoos and moon symbol stood out, making him appear exotic and mysterious- even though he, like Kikyo, now had bare feet.

Inuyasha (who still had his sword) was dressed as usual, in his red robes. His stare was fixed on Kikyo and Sesshomaru, and he did not look happy. At all. He remained two steps behind the couple at all times. 

Kagome felt like she was going to be sick. 

Of course, Kikyo chose that exact moment to notice the princesses (and Kagome) and smile their way. She seemed almost directly to smile at Kagome, who couldn’t help but shift uncomfortably and avert her eyes. 

_I can’t possibly be compared to her right now,_ she thought miserably, staring at her short pink dress, _I’m nowhere near as pretty. No wonder Sesshomaru likes her better._ Her heart gave a pang at the thought, and she felt herself become furious. 

The other princesses, meanwhile, hadn’t noticed. They were far too preoccupied with the guests who had accompanied Kikyo, Sesshomaru, and Inuyasha. The Inner Princesses, in particular, were nearly squealing in excitement. 

“The Shitennou Lords!” Makoto declared, a bit unnecessarily. 

“Oh, Kunzite looks so handsome!” Minako gushed. She waved at the general, who smiled back at her. Minako flushed happily, and she and Makoto broke out into a fit of giggles.

“I can’t imagine how they all made it here in time,” Ami marveled, “The sheer distance should have been far too much for their starships- their technology is nowhere near as advanced as ours-”

The other girls gave her sharp looks.

“-but I’m so glad they did make it,” Ami blushed. She and Zoisite shared an intense glance, and she quickly looked away and blushed again. 

“How did the Earthans manage to get an invite, anyway?” Amarion queried. He examined them, thoroughly intrigued:

“They have no diplomatic representation in the Federation. Queen Serenity has simply taken them under her protection. That’s not enough for them to be at an affair of state of this magnitude.”

Ryo, brushing off his own red suit, replied, “Amarion, notice who they walked in with. _That’s_ the reason they’re here. The Andromeda Empire is as interested in Queen Serenity’s pets as the rest of us.”

“Why they fascinate her,” Sojan said darkly, “I have no idea. Their planet is infested with demons. That should be enough to make her question their character and their motivations.”

_You can’t blame them for their planet being infested with demons!_ Kagome thought angrily, _It’s your own stupid fault! You were the ones who drove out the demons in the first place! Or at least,_ she added uncertainly, _that’s what Sesshomaru seems to believe..._

Motoki interrupted the girls, who were babbling with excitement, along with the other princes, “Who cares about the Earthans?” after the princesses’ gasp of shock, he added defensively, “I only wish to see my beloved Princess Rei.” He sighed dramatically, and Kagome noticed both Tali and Kagura laughing at his overreaction. 

As the sound of trumpets blared, Haruka said dryly, “You may be getting your wish, Motoki. She nodded towards the entryway nearest them. It was opposite the one they had all entered from, where the doors were merely paper screens. This entryway was comprised of a gate of twisting iron and gold, and the hallway in the palace beyond it was ensconced in shadow. Right on cue with Haruka’s words, the sconces in the garden died away. Even the great fire in the center of the garden became more subdued, and a hush fell over the crowd as the light faded away. Finally, only the stars and a smaller fire were left. The rest of the garden was covered in darkness, with eerie shadows cast on the faces of the guests. 

Kagome couldn’t help seeking out Sesshomaru’s face. Half of his face was in silhouette, making his face appear as if half his face was shrouded in darkness. The other half was clearly visible. To her surprise, she found the one golden eye of his that she could see was aimed directly at her. 

Just then, the iron gates Haruka had pointed out swung open. 

“Announcing the arrival of Her Highness, the Princess Rei of the House of Hino!” a liveried servant said. He bowed, then stepped out of the way. The guards on either side of the door rapped their spears twice, then raised them together to form a V-like shape, creating an honor guard. 

After this, the hallway beyond the gates was brilliantly illuminated with fire. Everyone gasped. A litter covered in flowers, rubies, and pearls, carried by four gorgeous men, made its way into the garden. Its occupant was slightly hidden from the crowd by a few semi-transparent curtains of red silk, but there was no doubt who it could be.

“She has the four future archdukes of Mars carrying her,” Amarion shook his head, “Rei truly has outdone herself, hasn’t she? That’s utterly ridiculous.” He rolled his eyes at the four men, who were all strikingly handsome- and all bare-chested! They were very well-muscled, but Kagome could hardly believe that this was considered socially acceptable.

Kagura, thoroughly amused, muttered under her breath, “And they call us barbarians?” Tali slapped her on her arm:

“Stop it, Kagura!” she hissed, “The archdukedoms are very important here!”

“Four archdukes?” Kagome whispered to Ami, who turned to her and explained, “Yes. Mars, of course, has its own planetary nobility. The highest in ranks are obviously the royal families of Phobos and Deimos, all of whom stem from the royal family of Mars. The rulers of Phobos and Deimos,” she pointed them out in the crowd, “are King Agni of Phobos and Queen Pele of Deimos. They’re King Vulcan’s younger siblings. Their children, Princess Hikari and Princess Kako, are Rei’s cousins and Sailors Phobos and Deimos. But beyond them,” Ami said, “the highest ranks of the nobility itself are from the Four Great Families of Mars. They are called the ‘Archdukes,’ for there are none above them except the Royal Family. The archdukedoms are the territories of Australe, Boreum, Syrtis, and Olympus. The men carrying Rei are all the sons of the current archdukes. Each of them are called grand dukes. For example,” Amy pointed to the attractive olive-skinned one at the front, “that one is known as Grand Duke Lugh of Boreum.”

_Wow,_ Kagome thought, _Rei wasn’t kidding when she said her party was going to be amazing._

The litter carrying Rei stopped before the fire in the center of the garden. As three of the grand dukes lowered the litter, the fourth- Grand Duke Lugh -bowed, parted the curtains of the litter, and took Rei’s hand as she made her entrance into the garden. The crowd gasped as they saw her, and with good reason. Rei wore an absolutely stunning red and scarlet gown. There were two scarlet panels on the sides that flowed to the ground, with a lighter red section in the middle. A red choker with he symbol of Mars adorned her neck, and she wore ruby earrings. 

Lugh bowed once more to her, and then retreated with the other grand dukes. Rei was left alone standing before the fire for a few minutes. 

At last, a man dressed as in the robes of a Martian priest approached her. 

“Who are you?” the man demanded. 

_How can he not know who she is?_ Kagome thought in wonder, _She’s only the most famous person on his planet!_

Rei replied regally, “I am Rei, first and only daughter of King Vulcan and Queen Ariesna of Mars. Through my father’s royal blood I am descended from Mars himself and a member of the Royal House of Hino. I wish to take my place as Heiress to the Throne of the Kingdom of Mars, She Who Will Be Queen.” She stared directly at the priest, who stared right back at her. A tense silence filled the garden.

“What makes you a good candidate for the throne?” the priest asked imperiously. He crossed his arms, and seemed to regard her almost with disinterest. 

“I am a princess of royal blood and direct descent from Mars Ares, god of war and fire,” Rei began, “In addition, I have sworn to protect and serve my people in the form of Sailor Mars. Furthermore, I have studied, and passed all exams with honors. Finally, I intend to use my psychic gifts and beg the gods’ favor to be trained in the Way of the Priestess of the Flame. Through these, let it be known I am an ideal candidate for the throne.”

“Perhaps,” the man said, almost doubtfully, “Perhaps,” he turned to face the fire, “Let us see if the Sacred Fire judges you to be worthy.”

The priest spread his arms wide and addressed the fire, “Oh, Sacred Flame, you who are the representative of Mars Ares here, before you stands Rei, daughter of Vulcan and Ariesna, Mars Ares’ servants who rule his kingdom,” he intoned, “Rei, daughter of Vulcan and Ariesna, wishes to receive the blessing of Mars Ares to study the Way of the Priestess of the Flame and become his acolyte, and eventually his high priestess. Tell us, Sacred Fire, is she worthy?” For a moment, nothing happened. Then the flame soared, reaching nearly twenty feet higher than its previous height, and swirling into the sky. The priest turned to the crowd and announced: “The Sacred Fire, the representative of Mars Ares in his kingdom, has judged Rei, daughter of Vulcan and Ariesna of Mars, worthy to study the Way of the Priestess and to become his servant, acolyte, and future high priestess.” The crowd politely clapped, then became silent once more as the priest returned to address the fire:

“Oh, Sacred Flame, you who are the representative of Mars Ares here, before you stands Princess Rei, daughter of King Vulcan and Queen Ariesna, they who rule his kingdom. Princess Rei, daughter of King Vulcan and Queen Ariesna, wishes to receive the blessing of Mars Ares to be his heiress to his kingdom, princess royal, and She Who Will be Queen. Tell us, Sacred Fire, is she worthy?”

Once again, nothing happened.

“Has the Sacred Fire ever refused anyone?” Kagome whispered to Ami. Ami leaned in, careful not to attract attention away from the ceremony:

“Yes, it has. There have actually been four times when a prince or princess has been rejected by the fire. Then one of their younger siblings is put forward as a candidate. It’s quite embarrassing if the fire refuses you. It shows you have weak character and usually a corrupt heart. Those who fail are often banished.”

Kagome gulped.

Luckily for all involved, the Sacred Fire reached towards the sky again, illuminating the whole garden in red and gold light. A man’s form seemed to step out of the fire. Entirely made of flame, he reached towards Rei, then traced the royal symbol of Mars on her brow. It flared with bright red light. The man made of flame seemed to smile, nod, and then disappeared into the flames in a flurry of sparks. 

_Was that Mars Ares!?!_ Kagome wondered, shocked, _Did a god just appear and bless Rei!?_ It was too incredible to believe. 

Nevertheless, the priest finally smiled and declared, “Then, Your Majesties, Your Highnesses, lords and ladies, all of you noble and gracious to be present here tonight, may I present to you, Her Serene Highness, the Princess Rei, Princess Royal of Mars, the Right and True Heiress of Mars, and She Who Will be Queen!”

The crowd burst into applause and cheers. Queen Ariesna came forward, bearing a beautiful, large tiara made of rubies, amethysts, and diamonds. Tears of joy running down her face, she placed the crown on her beaming daughter’s head. The princesses also joined in the cheering, even Tali and Kagura. The monarchs in the room clapped. Motoki was practically falling on the ground in ardor. 

Yet, Kagome couldn’t help but notice, Rei wasn’t noticing any of them. Instead of her family, her friends, the rulers of the Sol System, and her betrothed, Rei had eyes for only one person: Lord Jedite of the Shitennou States. 

He stared right back at her, giving her the most sincere, loving smile Kagome had ever seen.

* * *

After Rei’s installation as the heiress, another twenty debutantes were introduced to society. All were from the nobility, which came as no surprise to Kagome. She quickly grew bored with watching them- Rei’s ceremony was undoubtedly the most impressive; the others were merely introduced by their noble title, their name, and with a short description of their family -and noticed only two other candidates: Princess Hikari and Princess Kako, Rei’s cousins whom Ami had showed her. Princess Hikari and Princess Kako had an additional component to their ceremony in which they were formally named Sailor Phobos and Sailor Deimos, respectively, and presented with Sailor Crystals by Kikyo. Afterwards, Queen Ariesna dubbed them ladies-in-waiting and personal protectors of Rei.

Once the final ceremonies were over, Rei made her way over to the princes and princesses, who each hugged and congratulated her. Although Amarion kissed her on the cheek, she barely noticed. She kept sneaking glances at Jedite, who, along with the other Earthan royals (with the exception of Queen Equinity, who was talking with Queen Ariesna), were surreptitiously trying to cross the garden to talk to the princesses. 

Motoki, meanwhile, decided to make a breach in royal protocol and kiss his betrothed full on the mouth. Rei’s eyes went wide, and utterly horrified, she pushed him away. Jedite, who by this time was barely four feet away from the group, was absolutely furious. His face turned bright red, and he started to stride towards Motoki, but the other generals pulled him back. 

Kagome distinctly heard Endymion try to calm him down, “Jedite! You’ve got to pull yourself together. She’s betrothed to him. _Betrothed._ He has every right to kiss her. You don’t. If you go ever there and start beating him to a bloody pulp, like I know you want to-”

“He deserves it,” Jedite growled back, “Can’t he tell she doesn’t like him!?”

Endymion sighed, and placed a hand on his friend’s shoulder, “Yes, he does deserve it. Probably he can’t tell. Even if he could, it doesn’t matter. They’re betrothed. They don’t _have_ to like each other. But listen to me: Rei really likes you. And if you go punching her betrothed, you won’t have a prayer of seeing her again.” 

Jedite sighed, then smoothed his hair back. He took a few deep breaths, then closed his eyes and bit his lip. 

“Okay, Motoki!” Minako interrupted hurriedly, noticing the awkward moment, “That was...way beyond normal etiquette. Way beyond,” she began to drag her brother away, “You had no right to scare Rei out of her wits like that! You’re embarrassing her at her own party!” 

Motoki’s eyes widened, and he said remorsefully, “Oh, Rei, I’m so sorry. I just was so proud of you and I wanted to show you how I felt-”

“You can show her how sorry you are by leaving her alone,” Minako said reproachfully, ever the bossy big sister, “Everyone’s staring at her now, and not in a good way. Can you stand being without her glorious presence for a few hours?” She put her hands on her lips, eyes flashing at Motoki, who resembled a repentant puppy.

“I...I suppose,” he said, the agony evident in his voice, “I’m so sorry, Rei.” He quickly walked to the other side of the garden, the nobility’s stares following him as he left. 

“Oh, in the name of Mars,” Rei wiped the sweat of her forehead, “Thank you so much, Minako!”

“Yes,” Jedite cut in artfully, “Thank you so much, Your Highness.” He bent down and kissed Rei’s hand, then stood up, “Many congratulations, _Your_ \- Serene Highness, was it?” he grinned and leaned in towards her, “I was about two steps from pummeling him into pieces!”

“I noticed,” Rei said dryly, looking at him with shiny eyes, “I think the way you were thinking of killing him was a bit cruel, though.”

The general laughed, “Sometimes it’s not good that you’re a psychic.” 

“But sometimes it is,” she smiled, “I’d love to dance with you, too.”

“And how, dearest Rei, are you planning to pull that off?” Amarion asked, ignoring Jedite’s glare of death, “Your betrothed, while so artfully dispatched by the lovely Minako, is still here. If you were to dance, you would be expected to dance with him. Or me. Or the archdukes. But not an Earthan general.” 

“Shut up,” Jedite said, his fingers hovering dangerously close to his ornamental sword. 

“Jedite,” Kunzite warned, “Back off. Assaulting planetary princes is a bad idea.”

“A very bad idea,” Amarion agreed amicably. He seemed thoroughly entertained by Jedite’s reaction. 

Just then, Queen Ariesna had the guards rap their spears on the floor once again. The guests hushed. Also again, Kagome could feel Sesshomaru’s eyes on her. She determinedly did not return his look.

“My daughter,” Queen Ariesna addressed Rei formally, “Tonight is in honor of you. It is traditionally your decision what to do to commence the celebration?” She folded her hands, and the entire crowd’s attention turned to Rei. 

Rei determinedly looked at Jedite, then said to her mother, “I want there to be dancing. Dancing throughout the night!” 

“You heard my daughter,” Ariesna said to one of the servants idling nearby, “Summon musicians. We shall dance in her honor.” The servant bowed and obediently scurried off. Motoki began to walk towards the princesses again.

“Wait!” Kikyo’s voice rang out, and the crowd obediently quieted to listen to the imperial princess. She was standing across the way, her arm still entwined with Sesshomaru’s. 

_What does she want_ now? Kagome wondered, fresh feelings of resentment welling up in her, _It’s Rei’s party. Can’t she let someone else have the attention, just this once?_

Judging by the looks on the other princesses’ faces, they were thinking the same thing. Still, no one stopped Kikyo. In fact, Queen Ariesna asked:

“Yes, princess? What is it?”

Kikyo raised her head slightly, so her stance was more imperious, then declared, “I have met the Earthan royals,” she paused, turning to glance in their direction, “and they are quite cultured. However, they do not know all of our customs, nor our dances. Who better to teach them than our princesses, and of course, the lovely Princess Rei?”

_What is she doing!?!?_ Kagome marveled. The other princesses’ mouths dropped open. They were all astonished- but all were desperately hoping against hope that the queen would grant her request. 

Queen Ariesna, for her part, was slightly taken aback by Kikyo’s strange question, but could not refuse a princess of the Andromedan Empire. Slightly wide-eyed, she nodded. 

“Quite right,” she nodded, “I understand from Lady Crawford of the Moon Kingdom that our princesses are some of the most accomplished dancers in the system, if not the galaxy. Ladies, if you would please?” 

“Oh, I very much please!” Makoto said happily. Nephrite held out a hand to her, and lead her to the decidedly unusual dance floor of the sand. Zoisite offered a shy smile to Ami, and she also followed him to the dance floor. Kunzite barely had to ask Minako. She nearly threw herself at him. 

As for Endymion, he and Serenity both appeared as if they had a desire to be somewhere other than the dance floor, where they could be together without the scrutiny of the nobles. Still, they were not ones to look a gift horse in the mouth, and so went to dance as well. 

Jedite and Rei were, of course, the last- and the most thrilled -couple to head to the dance floor. 

Other couples, including the Outer Princesses, who had seemed to obtain the attentions of the two of the archdukes and several princes of other moons in the system, were also swept off to dance. Even Kagura and Tali had found partners in the remaining two archdukes. 

Worst of all, Sesshomaru and Kikyo had also taken their places in the center of the floor.

_Great,_ Kagome thought miserably, _Even my own sisters found partners! I can’t even get a dance, let alone with the prince I like. Even if that prince treated me terribly today...I still want to dance with him. By the stars...I’m crazy!_ She sighed and walked over to the refreshment table. She’d hoped for an evening more exciting than this- much better than standing alone watching everyone else have their little love affairs. 

At that moment, she saw Kikyo lean in close to Sesshomaru as if to kiss him. He bent his head towards her, and Kagome could hardly bear to look. 

_In the name of Serenity, somebody’s got to check where Makoto’s getting her information!_ she thought angrily, _Clearly, she’s getting it wrong!_

“Your Highness?”

Kagome’s eyes snapped open at the sound of the demon lord’s voice. There he was, standing before her, resplendent in his white robes. His own golden orbs bore into hers. Despite herself, she wanted to melt into the floor. 

“My lord,” she said icily. She refused to let him see what he did to her. She was _not_ about to call him by his name, not after today. Not after he’d kissed Kikyo, right in front of her!

“Your Highness,” Sesshomaru said, genuine confusion in his voice, “please dance with me.”

_Absolutely not!_ Kagome fumed, _Not after that little stunt you just pulled!_

Out loud, she said, “No.” She coldly turned away from him, but then the demon lord grabbed her arm, and she felt frozen to the spot. 

“Please,” Sesshomaru said, “Princess Kikyo has commanded I dance with you.” He stared at her imploringly. 

_What in the stars?!?_ Kagome wondered, shocked, _Why would she do that? This makes no sense!_

“Why does she want you to dance with me?” Kagome demanded. She pulled her hand away and crossed her arms in front of her chest, “She seemed pretty happy with you two seconds ago.”

“What?” Sesshomaru asked. He tilted his head to the side in an adorable gesture, which Kagome fought to recognize as adorable. 

“She just kissed you!” Kagome spat out at last, her true anger reaching out of her, “Why would she want you to dance with me when she was kissing you!?!?”

Unbelievably, the demon lord laughed. 

“Kikyo did not just kiss me,” he said at last, golden eyes filled with mirth, “Is that why you’re mad at me? You thought she kissed me?”

“Yes, she did!” Kagome fumed, “I couldn’t even look at you two-”

“Oh, Kagome. Just dance with me. I’ll explain.” He held out one elegant, perfect hand to her. She stared at it, not even realizing he’d called her by her first name. 

_Don’t you dare do it,_ she told herself, _Don’t you dare dance with him! Don’t you let him play with you like this-_

“Fine,” Kagome said, “but you better have a pretty good explanation.” She allowed the laughing demon lord to lead her to the dance floor, where, she was surprised to notice, Kikyo was dancing with Inuyasha. On seeing Kagome and Sesshomaru, she smiled and waved. Kagome uncertainly waved back. 

Sesshomaru, noting her gesture, turned to see who she had been waving at. Once he saw, he said gently:

“Kagome, Kikyo did not kiss me, or the other way around. On state occasions like this, it’s usually required I dance with her- we are betrothed. Even if we weren’t,” the demon lord continued earnestly, “I would have to dance the opening number with her. I’m the ambassador for her galaxy. So, naturally when Rei asked for dancing, I went over to Kikyo for the requisite dance.”

“And she kissed you.”

“No. She actually whispered to me-”

“Yeah, right.”

“-that she commanded me to dance with you, because according to her, I am terrible at the dances practiced in the Sol System and in desperate need of tutoring. Also according to her, you are the best person to teach me because you are the princess of the Sun, the very center of the system.”

“What?” Kagome gasped, cheeks coloring.

_Oh my God! Did I just...oh my God! Now he’s going to think I’m so stupid! And petty! And...jealous!_

She wanted to die.

“Kikyo commanded me to dance with you,” Sesshomaru smiled, “and believe me, I’d rather dance with you than her. Although speaking of her, is that why you were mad at me earlier today?”

The words came spilling out of Kagome so fast, she hardly realized she was saying them:

“I thought you were ignoring me for her. You didn’t show up at practice, and when you did, it was with her, and you didn’t even say hello-”

“Kagome,” Sesshomaru laughed again, a bright smile filling his expression, “Kikyo had just come from the empire. I’m her ambassador. I couldn’t just let her arrival go unacknowledged or unnoticed. By all political protocol, I had to escort her everywhere- her meeting with Queen Serenity, senshi practice...” his smile faded as he gazed at her truthfully, “Believe me, I would much rather have been with you.”

Kagome felt as if she was going to melt into the floor. She loved his smile. She loved the way he was staring at her. She loved the way he seemed entranced by her very presence. It was as if she was something so special, so unique- something he had never seen before. And Kagome knew from the other princesses that Sesshomaru was not normally so open or happy. In fact, according to Serenity, he was usually impassive, unemotional, imperious, and on occasion, even a little cold. They’d never seen this side of him- the laughing, pleased side. Kagome couldn’t help but wonder if it was her who brought it out in him. 

She also couldn’t help but hope that was the truth. 

Their moment was interrupted by screams. Sesshomaru immediately jumped in front of Kagome protectively, and across the garden, Inuyasha had done the same for Kikyo. The generals, meanwhile, had each withdrawn their swords and were standing guard over their princesses. The Martian guards, however, were nowhere to be seen. 

_What in the world is going on?_ Kagome thought frantically. Her head whipped back and forth as she tried to discern the source of the panic that was rapidly spreading through the guests and servants. 

Suddenly, she noticed a human body lying prone on the ground. She recalled Isuki’s words: “ _She simply went to sleep two days ago and was dead the next day. She never woke up...the palace doctors are baffled. They say it was as if someone had simply drained her life force.”_

Eyeing the ground with new dread, she discovered similar bodies everywhere- all of the guards, and all, she was newly certain, dead. She forced the bile down her throat. 

Just then, five strange, frightening creatures appeared. One was a green skinned woman with fangs, yellow eyes, and long, Medusa-like black hair that curled around her. Another was a woman who resembled an automatronic doll. Her skin was a light green, and her hair was pink, curly, and tied with a red bow. Unlike the first woman, who had a shapeless robe for clothing, the doll-like woman had a strapless red dress and long red gloves. The third was a man who possessed blue skin, and frightening white hair. The last two were a set of twins, one all in white, the other all in black. The five of them all bore wicked smiles. 

“Are they demons?” Kagome wondered out loud.

“Not any I’ve seen,” Sesshomaru replied, his hand searching for the sword that for once, wasn’t there. He cursed under his breath. 

Kagome snuck a glance at the princesses, as did many of the other royals in the room. Apparently, they were also expecting the princesses to transform into the senshi, but by their panicked faces, Kagome realized the horrible truth: they’d left their lockets at home. 

_They never thought they’d have to fight._

A cold pit of dread began to grow in her stomach.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” the doll-woman said, “We come here bearing you only moderate,” she flashed a frightening smile at them, “harm. We would simply like to drain your energy for our illustrious ruler. This would be _so_ much easier if you would just cooperate.” She smiled freakishly, her expression all at once sickly sweet and utterly perverse. 

“Those fellows,” the man in black jerked his thumb behind him at one of the corpses, “didn’t. And they ended up dead.” 

At his words, panic spread through the crowd at an increasing degree. Women screamed, and everyone frantically rushed towards the exits. 

“Oh, no you don’t!” the blue-skinned man commanded. With a flick of his hand, he froze the running royals and the noblemen and -women to their spots. Most looked down at their feet and shrieked only louder. 

“What the hell?” Inuyasha demanded. He furiously tried to escape the ice, to no avail. 

“Tsk tsk,” the doll-woman said, “I suppose we’ll have to kill you naughty people after all. It was such a lovely night. Shame we’ll have to ruin it.” She raised her hand, perhaps to gather a killing blow, but was stopped short by Rei, who shouted furiously: 

“Oh, no you don’t! Not MY party!” 

The creatures- whatever they were -were so surprised by Rei’s declaration that they all stopped momentarily in their tracks.

In that instant, Kagome, Kikyo, and Rei simultaneously, instinctually, reacted in unison. 

Rei raised a written prayer spell to Mars Ares. Kikyo clutched a handful of tiny crystals. And Kagome grabbed the only weapon she could find within reach- a fork. 

Rei shouted, “Akuryou Taisan!”

Kikyo shouted, “Begone, creatures of evil!”

Kagome, last of all, simply shouted, “Leave!” 

Then, the three threw the prayer scroll, the crystals, and the fork at the five creatures at once. In fascination, Kagome watched as all three objects became imbued with a strange, bright pink light in the air. When at last they collided with the creatures, the objects exploded in a blaze of bright pink light- and the creatures, whoever they were, were destroyed.

_What the heck just happened?_ Kagome wondered.

The crowd seemed to be wondering the same thing. Stunned into silence, they looked back and forth at the three princesses. Even Inuyasha, Jedite, and Sesshomaru seemed shocked by the display of raw power. 

_But where did that come from?_ Kagome thought, confused and self-conscious, _I’m not Sailor Sun! I can’t have accessed the sun’s power! I don’t even know_ why _I did it, never mind how!_

“I don’t believe it,” Queen Ariesna whispered. The entire assembly turned to look at the astonished queen. Her hand rested over her heart, and her eyes glistened with tears as she gazed back and forth at the three girls. 

“Your Majesties,” the priest trailed off, appearing out of nowhere, “You realize what this means?”

“Of course we do!” King Vulcan said, “The Prophecy of the Three Priestesses has come to fruition!”

“What!?!?” Rei gasped, looking back and forth from Kikyo, Kagome, and herself. 

The priest, realizing the crowd was probably ignorant of the prophecy announced: 

“Hundreds of years ago, before the Great God and King Mars Ares departed our planet for the Heavens, he declared that one day, when they were needed most, three powerful priestesses would appear. Three priestesses, with hair of raven black, would be his most trusted and most gifted servants. They would protect the innocent...spread his word to the masses...each would have one of his gifts...”

Shaking his head in disbelief, the priest added with an incredulous smile, “It is now our understanding that you- Princess Rei of Mars, Princess Kagome of the Sun, and Princess Kikyo of Andromeda -are the three prophesied priestesses. For years,” he turned to Ariesna, “for hundreds of years, we assumed they would come from Mars! Imagine if, after all this time, we’ve been looking in the wrong place-”

Queen Ariesna shook and her head, and declared regally, “It does not matter where they come from. All that matters is that Mars Ares had recognized them as his servants,” she raised her head, every inch a queen, “and I, for one, intend to make sure they receive the best training possible.” 

Striding over to the girls, Queen Ariesna said, “Princesses Kikyo and Kagome, it is truly fate that brought you here tonight. I hope that fate will decide you remain here, under the tutelage of our great priests and priestesses. Please, accept my offer to study the Way of the Priestess of the Sacred Fire.” 

Kagome’s mouth dropped open. _Well, I guess I got an exciting night,_ she thought dryly. 

She looked at Kikyo, who smiled at her and shrugged, as if to say, _Why not?_

Nodding, Kagome said, “Of course, I accept. Thank you!”

Kikyo added, “And I accept.” 

With that, the queen broke into a smile, and the crowd once again broke into cheers. 

It was then that Kagome knew that everything would change. 


	10. The Dark Is Full of Secrets

It was nearly three in the morning, and the party had only just broken up merely an hour before. The king and queen had offered to have the guests remain for the night, not only because the ball had gone so far into the morning, but as a small method of compensation for the attack during it. It had nearly thrown all the servants into a fit of consternation, but they’d somehow readied all the apartments for the guests within forty-five minutes. All of the guests had been assigned individual rooms, but the Inner princesses and Kagome had yet to return to theirs. Instead, they were been in Rei’s chambers, lounging on various red and purple silk pillows, discussing the fairly incredible events of the night. Each of them were still in their formal gowns, except for Rei, who sported a light red silk robe. 

“And Kagome, when you threw that fork-” Minako trailed off, collapsing in a fit of giggles, “I thought I was going to die!” She practically was rolling around on the floor. Only an amused Ami, wielding a nearby pillow, was able to keep her from crashing right into the wall.

“Oh, come on,” Makoto said, “You _would have_ died, if not for Kagome’s quick thinking,” the brunette added, with more than a touch of admiration in her voice, “and her apparent superpowers.” Her green eyes were filled with warmth. 

“Priestess powers,” Rei said haughtily, with a flick of her hair, “are _not_ superpowers. They are an incredible gift from Mars Ares, and a sign of his favor,” from her red pillow across from Kagome, Rei smiled, “but either way, they’re amazing.” Kagome blushed, flattered by their attention. She hastily looked down at her hands, unsure what to do. 

It was strange to be the important one in the room, never mind the important one in a room full of the Federation’s golden girls. Kagome had no idea what to make of their newfound appreciation of her, but she liked it. They had been her friends before, but she’d always felt like an outsider. Now, though, she was definitely _in._

“You were pretty amazing yourself, Rei,” Kagome replied, returning the compliment to the Martian princess. Looking at the raven-haired beauty, Kagome couldn’t help but think:

 _I can’t believe I’m going to be a priestess, too! Not just any priestess, either, but one from a prophecy!_ It was hard to wrap her mind around. Only a few hours ago, she’d been the Princess of Mars’ ragtag friend. Now she was someone walking right out of a legend. 

It was a lot to take in, for only a few hours.

“Thank you,” Rei answered with another toss of her hair. She eyed the other girls, then said conspiratorially, “but enough about us. Can we talk about how amazing it was to have the Shitennou lords there!?!?” 

“What about if they were here right now?” a soft voice, equally conspiratorial, whispered from the shadows. Minako shrieked as a laughing Kunzite picked her up, bridal style, from her pillow and kissed her. Serenity turned her head behind her to catch Endymion bending towards her with a red rose. Zoisite chivalrously helped Ami to stand, and Nephrite shyly waved at Makoto (which Kagome couldn’t help but laugh at. The brunette general seemed utterly aware of his own good looks, and was completely like a shy boy with his first crush around Makoto. The princess, to her credit, didn’t seem to mind). Last of all was Jedite, who merely smirked at Rei. He was still half in the darkness, and Kagome realized it was him who had spoken. 

_How did they even get in here? Did Rei know they were all going to show up?_ Kagome tried to discover whether Rei had deliberately allowed the lords and their prince into her chambers, but from her stunned- though not at all unhappy -face, she realized Rei had had no idea at all.

As if reading her thoughts, Jedite said, “I hope you ladies do not mind us spending some time with you.” The princesses immediately protested with cries of “No!” “Of course not!” and “How could we?” Jedite, seemingly very satisfied with himself, strode towards Rei, dropped to her side, and wrapped his arms around her. She leaned back into his embrace and closed her eyes.

“I’m so glad you came,” Rei said softly, “but how did you manage to get by Riku and Yuuto?”

“You think we’ve managed to become the best generals of Earth without knowing how to slip past a few guards?” Jedite murmured as he nuzzled her neck. 

“What he means is that we knew to pay them off,” Zoisite replied. When the others balked at his frankness, the blond general shrugged: “What? It’s better to be honest.”

_By the stars, Mars has got to get better guards!_

“We didn’t quite pay them off,” Endymion said sternly, “We asked if you had retired yet, and if not, if they would allow us to see you.” Serenity raised an elegant eyebrow at him. Smoothing her gown, she announced primly: 

“There is _no_ way two Martian guards would simply allow Earthans to enter into the private chambers of their princess and future queen. It just isn’t possible.” Despite her own love for Endymion, it seemed the values ingrained in her since she was a child were still very much a part of her. They affected her entire outlook on life. It was bizarre to Kagome that such a sweet princess could sometimes be...well, classist and racist. The strange thing was that it did not alter her behavior to people individually. She was unfailingly kind to servants and had never once mistreated anyone, even Sesshomaru, a demon who seemed to be at the pinnacle of Serenity’s hatred. 

_Sesshomaru..._

Seeing the princesses with their own lovers made Kagome’s heart ache. After the startling announcement that Kikyo and Kagome would both be studying to become priestesses with Rei, the demon prince had been forced to withdraw from the ballroom. He had not even been able to say his goodbyes before he had to leave. He had made his apologies to Ariesna, saying that he needed to inform Empress Kikyuri about the sudden development of her daughter being part of a centuries old prophecy. Then he left. Newly aware of the statutes of Sesshomaru’s position, Kagome understood _why_ he had to leave, and she didn’t blame him for it. As Andromeda’s ambassador, he would have to be on hand when he told Empress Kikyuri of the incredible news. Still, it would have been much easier to deal with Sesshomaru’s absence if the Earthans hadn’t shown up. 

She was shaken out of her thoughts by Ami’s amused declaration, “Of course Sir Riku and Sir Yuuto would not allow Earthans to pass under normal circumstances. However, if they thought that the future high priestess of Mars Ares had summoned them, as devout followers, I’m sure they would make an exception, particularly if the Earthans brought the traditional tithe to the gods.”

Kunzite’s mouth dropped open, “How did you...?” Minako delicately pushed his chin back into position, giggling all the while.

“Well,” Ami shrugged, “It follows logic, especially when you consider how quickly you were all invited to the celebration, that you were given a crash course of Martian religion by Zoisite on the flight over,” as Zoisite blushed, she continued, “and so you would know all about the tithe to the gods which is traditionally given to the Martians’ high priestess. I’m sure the more devious among you probably knew what to manipulate from there.”

“Guilty as charged,” Jedite grinned wickedly. At Endymion’s exasperated sigh, he winked at the girls. Rei snuggled closer to him. Casting his gaze down to her, all joking out of his eyes, he asked:

“Do you mind that we...well, tricked them that way?”

“I would technically call that lying,” Kagome cut in, “but I guarantee none of them mind. Still, I really don’t want to be the...” she took a quick count of them all, “eleventh wheel. So, I’m going to take a walk, okay? I’ll be back in an hour. And by then,” she said sharply, but with a hint of amusement in her tone, “I want all of you out!” She pointed at the Earthans, who laughed. 

Kunzite teased, “Well, Miss Newly Famous Priestess has gotten bossy very quickly, hasn’t she?” 

Minako swatted him on the arm, “Be nice to Kagome!” with that, she smiled at Kagome, “We promise, they’ll be gone in a _half_ hour.”

At Nephrite’s sound of protest, the Venusian said, “Look, I know Riku and Yuuto are super devoted to Mars Ares, but even they aren’t going to believe it took an hour to give Rei a tithe to the god. If you stay that long, they’ll come storming in,” her voice slowed, “and then we won’t get to see you again.”

 _And that’s my cue,_ Kagome thought dryly as the couples seemed to snuggle closer to one another. She gently opened the door. 

Two guards in Martian livery, undoubtedly Riku and Yuuto, abruptly stood at attention. 

“Your Highness!” one gasped, hurriedly standing straight and gripping his spear tightly, “I mean- I mean Lady Kagome-”

“Shut up, idiot,” the other growled, “She’s a princess. You call a princess ‘Your Highness,’ except Serenity. She’s a ‘Royal Highness.’ And Princess Rei, of course-”

“No!” the first guard retorted, gesturing to Kagome, “She’s a priestess! And you call a priestess Lady-” 

The second guard leaned in closer to the first one, “She’s not a priestess _yet_!” 

“Then how do you explain what she did tonight!?” the first demanded, “She imbued that fork with holy power-”

“Um, gentlemen?” Kagome said timidly. She raised her hand slightly, as if she were in Lady Crawford’s class hoping to grab a teacher’s attention. 

The two guards, however, were far too ensconced in their argument. Their faces were only inches apart as they yelled at one another. 

“Oh, you mean the fork you’re carrying around right now, Riku!?” the second guard, presumably Yuuto, scoffed, “The one you picked up off a _dinner table_!?” He crossed his arms, staring at his companion in disdain. 

To Kagome’s shock, Riku slipped a fork out of his jacket and waved it in front of Yuuto mockingly. Then, he shouted:

“This fork is a holy relic! It is one of the first objects used by a priestess from the Prophecy of the Three Priestesses! It is the very object that revealed her identity! How can you not treat it with respect?”

“Because,” Yuuto said tiredly, “You picked that fork up off a dinner table. The one Princess Kagome used was destroyed in the blast.” He gave his partner the same look Kagome had seen Kagura often give their overly excitable (and naive) five year old brother Tyru, which consisted of a mixture of exasperation and resignation. Riku did not notice. Instead, he became even more incensed:

“It was not destroyed! It flew onto the table! And _that_ ,” Riku narrowed his eyes at Yuuto, “is when I picked up the relic!”

“Common dessert fork.”

“Relic!”

“Dessert fork!”

“RELIC!”

“DESSERT FORK!”

“GENTLEMEN!” Kagome finally shouted with them. Stunned, the two guards quieted immediately. Riku gazed at her in adoration, while Yuuto stared at her apologetically, as if attempting to make up for Riku. Seizing the moment with their undivided attention, Kagome asked, “May I pass?” 

“Of course-”

“Of course-” 

Kagome acknowledged their salute and walked through the entryway.

“-Your Highness.”

“-Lady Kagome.”

Laughing as the guards’ bickering resumed behind her, she began to wander the myriad halls of the Mars Palace.

* * *

Kagome walked aimlessly through the halls, letting her feet carry her wherever they wanted to go. Earlier, she would have been concerned about getting lost. Now, though, even if she did, a Martian guard would only be too happy to assist her. 

With this knowledge firm in her mind, she was more than comfortable with traveling in the twisting hallways. Although both the ceilings and the lighting were low, the soft candlelight didn’t frighten her. It was comforting and welcoming. In some ways, it was more welcoming than her own home.

Despite how content Kagome felt in the Mars Palace, she couldn’t help but notice how empty the halls were. In the Moon Kingdom, even at the latest hours, there was always someone scurrying about. But here...it was as if the entire population had disappeared after two-thirty. It was slightly unnerving to be so alone, especially when she was _never_ alone. Even at home on the Sun, solitude was hard to come by. She always had at least one other person around. In the stillness of the Mars Palace, Kagome felt like a ghost, vaguely haunting a place that she remembered as happy, but wondering where her companions had disappeared to. 

_It’s almost...sad,_ she thought, slightly shocked, _It feels like a sadness is here...or will come here..._

Kagome shook her head, willing herself to be rid of those dark thoughts: 

_Come on, Kagome! Don’t be stupid. Sadness? Why would anyone be sad? Mars just had its biggest celebration of the next five hundred years! Besides,_ she chastised herself, _even if you were somehow onto something, Rei’s the psychic one, not you._ There was no reason for Kagome to be feeling this way, especially after tonight. 

Hushed voices interrupted her reverie: 

“You know we can’t. This isn’t possible, by my laws or yours.”

The first voice was soft and sad, feminine, and distinctly familiar. 

“Are you going to let laws run your life!?”

The second voice was angry and masculine. Kagome had never heard it before, and she struggled to place it. The accent was rough and contained none of the cultured tones of the Federation royals. Even the commoners didn’t sound like that. 

“You don’t understand...I was born to maintain laws, and for that, I am ultimately subject to them! Laws are what balance life-” the first voice said, full of despair. 

“Laws _ruined_ my life,” the second voice growled, “Laws killed my mother, and they killed my father when he tried to defend her. Laws made my brother an exile and an outcast of me!”

_Who in the stars?_

Kagome, by this time burning with curiosity, ventured a peek around the corner and nearly fell over at the sight before her. Hidden in an alcove were two figures standing far closer together than they should have been. One wore a beautiful purple and white ochre dress. The other had red robes. One’s hair was dark as the night sky, and the other’s was white as the moon. One had blue eyes, and the other had a gleaming yellow. 

_Kikyo!?_ _Inuyasha!?!?_ Kagome gasped, then hurriedly covered her mouth, but neither of the lovers seemed to notice her. They were too preoccupied with one another. 

Kikyo tried to take a step away from Inuyasha, muttering a soft “I’m sorry,” but the half-demon’s hand reached out like lightning and grabbed her wrist. Kikyo, unlike Kagome expected, did not struggle or try to pull away. Instead, she stood there, tears filling her eyes. 

Inuyasha said firmly, “Laws ruined my life,” he pulled Kikyo towards him, “By hell am I going to let them ruin yours!” With that, he kissed her fiercely. A trembling Kikyo wrapped her arms around him, and he gripped her even harder into a tight embrace. 

_In the name of Serenity!_ Kagome stared at them in shock for a few moments, but then took a step back. As she began to run back through the hallways, her mind was struggling to make sense of what she had just seen. It made no logical sense-

_Kikyo is Grand Princess of the Andromeda Empire. She’s betrothed to Sesshomaru, a Lord of the Empire and True Prince of the Moon Kingdom...his brother is her bodyguard. Inuyasha is Kikyo’s bodyguard-_

-but at the same time, it made perfect sense. It explained Inuyasha’s constant anger towards Sesshomaru. For an imperial princess and her bodyguard could never be together. Inuyasha had no status to speak of, and Kikyo was one of the most important people in the nearest five galaxies. Any potential husband had to bring somethin gincredibly valuable to the table, and Inuyasha had nothing to offer her. According to the oft-cited Galactic Marriage Laws- which Kagome knew from Narchesa reciting them incessantly while searching for her own groom –a husband for an imperial bride had to be of imperial or royal-capital rank, have excellent ties with his house (in order to have access to an army almost immediately and protect his new galaxy in times of war), be educated in warfare, philosophy, diplomacy, history, mathematics, science, and various languages (with additional education in magical disciplines preferred), be knowledgeable of his own religious tradition as well as be willing to learn and accept his bride’s, be unmarried at the time of his betrothal (in other words, not be divorced or have ever been in a previous marriage), be born into wedlock, and finally, present himself to his bride’s parents and receive their blessing to be welcomed into the imperial house.

Inuyasha, as far as Kagome knew, satisfied _none_ of those requirements, except for the previous marriage clause. His parents’ marriage, meanwhile, wouldn’t be recognized because Queen Selenity VI Erinna was still alive at the time King InuTaisho married Lady Izayoi. At best InuTaisho would be accused of bigamy and Inuyasha would be called an “illegal heir.” At worst- and most likely -the marriage would never be pronounced as valid at all and Inuyasha would be a bastard. As such, he had no house or royal rank. His education, while undoubtedly fairly good since it had come from the Andromedan Empire (which was known for its rigorous schooling), was still nothing compared to that of a prince’s. He did not seem to be very religious. 

_He couldn’t have any hope of presenting himself to Empress Kikyuri...how awful!_

Kagome felt a surge of pity well up inside her. She was still stunned by Kikyo’s and Inuyasha’s apparent affair, but she couldn’t help but sympathize with them. It was a completely forbidden love that would probably never be realized. The laws were simply too strict. 

_How terrible..._

She was practically panting by the time she made it back to Rei’s chambers. Riku had dozed off, still clutching the fork close to his chest. Kagome couldn’t help but smile at that. Riku, for his part, looked ridiculously happy. 

Yuuto, meanwhile, snapped to attention as soon as he saw Kagome. He saluted her, then said:

“I’m sorry, Your Highness.”

Kagome, thinking he was apologizing for Riku, replied, “Oh no, it’s all right-” She reached for the doorknob, only to have Yuuto lean forward and gently push her back. 

“Princess Rei has gone to sleep. The other princesses have also retired to their chambers.”

 _What!?_ Kagome was thoroughly confused. It couldn’t have been more than forty-five minutes since she’d first left. It wasn’t possible for the princesses to go to bed so fast. Aside from that, it wasn’t in their natures to just...lock her out. 

_At least,_ Kagome thought doubtfully, _I didn’t think it was. Especially after tonight._

“Her Serene Highness asked me to offer you her sincerest apologies and to give you your room key.” Yuuto gave her a simple bronze key, which Kagome tucked into her gown. 

_Why would they just shut me out? Or even if they were going to shut me out, why would the others leave?_ Kagome was perplexed, _Unless..._

“Yuuto, did the Earthans pay their tithes to Mars Ares?”

“Yes. It was very...noble of them to do so. I suppose even Mars Ares touches those on Earth.”

“I suppose so. Where did the Earthans go?”

“The princesses offered to guide them back to their respective chambers.”

 _Aha!_ Kagome thought in triumph, though she couldn’t help blushing a bit. _Now_ things made much more sense. The princesses had apparently taken advantage of having their own rooms. While Kagome wasn’t sure she would have done the same in their position, having seen Kikyo and Inuyasha’s anguish at being kept apart, she could certainly understand why they might try.

“All right then,” Kagome tried to hide her embarrassment, “well...goodnight, Yuuto. Thanks for my key.”

“You’re welcome, Your Highness.” Yuuto saluted her again, and then Kagome set off once more in the hallways.

* * *

Kagome surreptitiously checked her key one last time. The number read “526.” None of the guest apartments in the Mars Palace were numbered, of course, but with so many guests, the servants had had to quickly devise a method of helping guests discover their assigned rooms. The easiest way for them to do this, they had discovered, was to tape various numbers next to each room, and corresponding numbers on the tiny bronze keys, as fast as possible. 

“526,” Kagome muttered to herself, “526...” She’d managed to find the wing of rooms that began with 500s, which were luckily only two halls down from Rei’s chambers. She had a sneaking suspicion that these suites had all been given to Rei’s close friends, which made her extremely happy. 

At last, she came to a door with the hurriedly taped, “526” on its left. Kagome, to her surprise, found the door was unlocked. She slipped the key around her neck, and opened the door. 

The room was shrouded in darkness, but it was not quiet. Nor was it empty. Kagome could just barely discern two figures in the great bed. Aquamarine hair was splayed all over the pillow, and pale white hands were entwined in the golden hair of the other figure. The sheets were half on the floor, and half around the couple. 

“Michiru,” the blond said, kissing the Neptunian princess’ neck. 

“Haruka...” Michiru sighed, and she clutched her lover’s hair. 

_Haruka!!?!?_ Kagome thought. She couldn’t believe her eyes, and so she could barely move. She was transfixed by the two princesses. This type of thing didn’t...exist. Two lovers of the same gender?

Kagome had never heard of it, but even she knew it would be forbidden under Federation Law.

Suddenly, Haruka noticed the shadow of the open door. She whirled around, a few stray pillows flying off the bed, and stared at Kagome wildly. 

“Haruka, what’s wrong?” Michiru asked worriedly. Haruka pulled the blankets up to cover Michiru, grabbed a smaller one for herself, then strode towards the door. Fire was in her eyes as she glared at Kagome:

“What, Kagome!?” at Kagome’s incredulous stare, Haruka continued, “Well, what!? Do you think we’re abominations, too?”

“N-n-no,” Kagome stammered. Haruka towered over her, and her face was flushed red. It was painfully obvious that the Uranian princess was angry- so angry that Kagome realized it was quite possible for Haruka to strike her if she was incensed enough.

“Why are you staring, huh!?” Haruka demanded, “See something freakish!?”

“Haruka!” Michiru admonished. She gracefully exited the bed, taking a white sheet with her, then pulled both Haruka and Kagome into the room, “Stop making a scene.” She shut the door gently behind them. 

“Would you care to take a seat?” Michiru, unbelievably, politely offered Kagome a cushion on which to sit. Despite Haruka’s incredulous stare, the Neptunian princess forced her lover to sit down as well, then gave them all glasses of water. Kagome had absolutely no idea what to do. She wanted nothing more than to get herself out of this very...awkward situation. The last thing she wanted was two of the princesses mad at her. 

“Michiru,” Haruka said, tension evident in her voice, “what are you doing!? She found out about us!” She jerked a finger clumsily towards Kagome. 

_All of her rage stems for a desire to protect Michiru,_ Kagome realized. Somehow, this made Haruka’s anger more bearable. _It’s like any other lover,_ she thought in wonder. 

Michiru calmly sipped some of her own water, then said, “Yes, Kagome did. However, she’s not going to do anything about it, are you, Kagome?” Her deep blue eyes met Kagome’s full on. Michiru’s gaze held no fear. 

“No!” Kagome said, “Of course not!” She looked back and forth between Haruka and Michiru, trying to gauge their reactions. Haruka still appeared of a mind to rip her throat out, but Michiru was perfectly tranquil. In fact, she seemed to view the situation as a positive thing. 

“I mean...I’m sorry I scared you, Haruka,” Kagome began, “It was a complete accident. I was looking for my room-” she gripped the chain around her neck, quickly showing them the key and its number, “and I thought this room was mine. I didn’t mean to intrude at all!”

“Haruka, you remember how strangely the servants numbered everything? And that my room was missing its number?”

Haruka grumbled, “Yes. Your room number was missing. We looked on the right and nothing was there.” She folded her arms, a bit like a chastised child. 

“The room numbers were supposed to be on the right!?” Kagome clapped her hands over her mouth, “In Serenity’s name, I’m so, so, so sorry! I thought they were on the left- the hallways are very dim-” Kagome’s excuses, however true, sounded ridiculous in her ears. 

_I’m such an idiot. I can apparently destroy demonic creatures, but I can’t count room numbers!_

“It’s perfectly all right,” Michiru said smoothly, “A mistake anyone could have made, to be sure. And although next time I’m sure Haruka will be more careful to lock the door when she sneaks in-” Michiru shot a glance at her lover, “there still remains the fact that you are here now, Kagome, and that you have discovered our secret,” the Neptunian princess stared at Kagome, “Kagome...you understand that Haruka’s and my relationship is forbidden, yes? Under Federation law, we are committing high treason.” Kagome gulped. 

“They think,” Haruka spat, “that a love like...like ours...is caused by demons! That our love is somehow...tainted! Worse!” Michiru let Haruka rant for a few minutes before laying a hand on her arm, at which point the Uranian princess dutifully stopped. Haruka’s chest was heaving, and it was evident that she was extremely upset by the law.

At last, Kagome repeated, “I’m sorry I scared you both. The reason I was so shocked is just that...well, I’ve never heard of a love like yours, that’s all. Still, I don’t think it’s evil at all. Love is love, right?” she smiled weakly. 

“Even though you think that,” Michiru said, “most in the Federation will not. It is absolutely imperative to our safety that you do not say _anything,_ to _anyone._ We could be executed.”

 _Executed?_ Kagome thought, stunned, _That’s...insanity. They’d kill them for this?_ Admittedly, she’d never met anyone like Haruka and Michiru in the Sun Kingdom, but even if she had, she knew Savitr wouldn’t have killed them. Execution was saved for only the gravest crimes, like murder. In fact, no one had been executed in the Sun Kingdom for hundreds of years. 

Despite herself, she couldn’t help but ask, “Does Amarion know?”

Haruka snorted, “He’s the only one who does- and now you. And if you ever give us up,” her eyes flash, “I don’t care how much I like you, Kagome, I’ll kill you first!” 

“I won’t give you up!” Kagome swore, “I promise, I won’t!” 

“Good,” Haruka said, only semi-satisfied, “Now if you don’t mind...I’d like to go back to bed.” Without waiting for a reply, she stretched, then walked across the room. 

“Oh! Um...of course!” Kagome scrambled to her feet, nearly tripping over her pillow in the process. She quickly returned the pillow to its position, then practically ran for the door. 

“Kagome?”

Kagome turned around to see Michiru in front of her, a slim envelope clutched in her hands. 

“I knew you wouldn’t betray us,” she said softly, “And in return...we won’t betray you.” She winked, then gave Kagome the envelope as she closed the door. 

* * *

Kagome, at last settled in her own room, was poring over the events of the night. 

_First I’m a priestess from a prophecy, then Kikyo’s in love with Inuyasha, and then Michiru’s in love with Haruka! I know I said I wanted an eventful night before...but this might be a little too much!_ For the first time, she understood why Savitr had avoided joining the Federation. When she’d asked as a child, he had always told her that he did not want to become a member because of “absurd court intrigue” and “unnecessary restrictions by rulers in power.” Kagome had never quite grasped what he meant, but she’d had enough of the Federation’s shady secrets for one night. 

Sighing, Kagome lounged in her bed, finally decided that she had to address the envelope on her bedside table. It had been staring at her for the better part of twenty minutes, practically begging to be opened. She hadn’t wanted to touch it, slightly afraid of the contents. Michiru’s promise only made her more wary of it. 

_Why would they betray me? What do I even need to be betrayed for?_

Shaking her head, Kagome at last picked up the envelope. She opened it easily, then pulled an elegant piece of parchment out. 

_K,_

_My sincerest apologies for having to leave you like that. Unfortunately, my duties forced me to do so. It was absolutely necessary that Her Imperial Majesty hear about what happened tonight._

_However, I hope you will be happy to know that I am commanded to remain on Mars for the duration of your priestess training (as a diplomatic liaison, of course)._

_S_

Kagome held the paper close to her chest, and smiled.

_On second thought, a night like this was absolutely perfect_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Please note that the Sol System Federation views on homosexuality do not represent my own views.


	11. The Way of the Priestess

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A telescript is a particular kind of communication that resembles a holographic email.

Two days later, Kagome stood near the landing field of Mars to say goodbye to her father and sisters. The Royal Solarian Starship was prepared, its pilots were at the helm, and all they were waiting for were its king and princesses to depart the Kingdom of Mars and return to the Sun Kingdom. 

“Kagome, you’re so lucky you get to stay here!” Tali said. She hugged Kagome, then added, “You better send telescripts every day! I want to hear about everything!” Her eyes were bright with excitement. Tali was thrilled for Kagome. Seeing her younger sister raised so high in such a short time was incredible, and she hoped that Kagome would take advantage of it. 

“I’ll do my best, Tali,” Kagome promised, returning the hug, “I don’t know how hectic my schedule will be, but I’ll definitely let you know what’s going on.” Kagome knew Tali was practically salivating at the chance to hear about life as a celebrated Federation royal. She didn’t think Tali was jealous of her, but her sister was definitely envious. Tali would have traded places with her in an instant. 

“Calm down, Tali,” Kagura admonished, but she too turned at Kagome with a smile, “Make sure you show them up, okay? But don’t get too cocky,” she warned, a hint of amusement in her eyes, “You may be some priestess from a legend, but I can still kick your -”

“Tali, Kagura,” interrupted King Savitr, “Could I have a word with Kagome? Alone?” 

“Of course, Father,” the two girls bowed, then waved a final goodbye. They walked up the gangway to the starship and soon disappeared from sight. Kagome felt her heart clench a bit as they left her view. She had never truly been without her sisters for any length of time. It was slightly frightening to think she wouldn’t see them for nearly a month and a half. 

“My daughter.”

King Savitr was dressed in simpler clothes today. He still had regal robes on, though they were no longer cloth of gold. They were a deep yellow, but they suited his dark skin. Although he no longer wore his greatest crown (two Solarian guards had already taken it onboard the ship), his current crown was also made of twisting gold. It was fit for a royal, and Savitr was utterly majestic in it. 

The king smiled at Kagome, “Who knew you would bring such honor to our house?”

Although he didn’t say it, Kagome knew what he was thinking:

_Forty-seventh daughter, one of many. Forty-seventh daughters don’t make history. Forty-seventh daughters aren’t a part of history._

_But I did,_ Kagome thought fiercely, _I made history!_

“Thank you, Father,” Kagome said, “I only want what’s best for us.” She straightened her gown. It was strange for her father to address her like this- so familiarly, and with such pride. Her father, though he had always cared for Kagome, had never spent so much time talking to her personally. He usually talked to his children in smaller groups of siblings. She knew he didn’t do this on purpose. It was simply that he had so many it was nearly impossible to devote time to them individually. 

“I know that, Kagome,” King Savitr replied, “but I also want what’s best for you.” He leaned closer to her so the surrounding Martians bustling about the platform wouldn’t hear:

“You have shown us all that you are very brave, but be careful, daughter. They are all your friends now, but if you so much as slip up once, they will throw you to the wolves without a second thought. Believe me,” he said sternly, seeing Kagome’s incredulous stare, “I saw it happen when I was very young,” The king’s eyes grew forlorn and distant, “The Ceres Kingdom was a tiny planet, the only one amongst the asteroids. It was a small kingdom, and very isolated, but prosperous. It grew particularly wealthy when it discovered a cache of Eternal Diamonds in a field near its capital.”

Kagome sucked in a breath. Eternal Diamonds were a very rare and special gemstone with a variety of mystical powers. When they were ground into dust and placed in potions, they had healing properties. Numerous fatal diseases had been miraculously cured if the patient drunk a potion containing eternal diamonds. When they were placed in objects, the objects took on a magical quality and any powers they might have already had were magnified. The Outer Senshi’s talismans all contained Eternal Diamonds. Furthermore, when they were placed in common weapons such as swords, spears, and arrows, the weapons never missed their intended target. 

For all of these reasons, Eternal Diamonds were extremely valuable and highly sought after by nearly everyone in the cosmos. 

“There were hundreds of diamonds- so many that the Ceres Kingdom, which had previously been a relatively unknown kingdom (except as a trade post) was catapulted to fame. Everyone began courting the astonished and overwhelmed royal family, all of whom had no idea what to make of the sudden attention. The Federation royals were inviting them everywhere, holding banquets in their honor, toasting their success, and talking about future partnerships in all areas. The Ceres royals came to trust them,” Savitr shook his head sadly, “and it was their downfall. Because of the Federation royals’ great ‘kindnesses’ and ‘friendship’ towards them, the Ceres family gave them hordes of diamonds. 

“Eventually, however, they ran out of Eternal Diamonds. And that was when they ran out of interest to the Federation royals. 

“Shortly after all the Eternal Diamonds were gone, the Ceres Kingdom was plunged into a sudden drought. They sought help and aid from their new friends- but none was given. Now that the Ceres Kingdom had nothing to trade with, the Federation kingdoms saw no value in it. They refused to assist them.”

_I’ve never even heard of the Ceres Kingdom,_ Kagome thought wildly, _never mind this story!_ She couldn’t believe what her father was saying. Quietly, she asked:

“What happened?”

Savitr sighed, then whispered, “They died. Nine-tenths of the population. That left about one hundred people on the entire planet. The royal family was completely decimated- only two survivors.”

_By the stars..._ Kagome felt her stomach twist. _They let a planet full of people die? For no reason?_ And this heinous act couldn’t be blamed on the royals of long ago. It wasn’t her friends’ ancient ancestors anymore. If Savitr was a child...it had been the grandparents of the current princes and princesses. Serenity VII had supposedly been a kind and virtuous ruler, but obviously she hadn’t been the perfect person history books made her out to be. 

_Why do people seem to erase their mistakes from history?_ Kagome shook her head, _How can you just erase an entire_ civilization _from history?_

“The Ceres Kingdom is no more. It was taken over as another superfluous colony of the Kingdom of Jupiter. The kingdom itself is all but forgotten.”

“I don’t understand,” Kagome replied, “I don’t understand how they could just stand back and let people die!” Acutely aware of the Martians around her, she struggled to contain her emotions. Despite herself, a hint of anger crept into her voice. Noting this, Savitr shot her a warning look. 

“I don’t understand it either,” the king responded, taking her hand in his, “but I want you to stay on your guard. Be careful, my daughter. Give kindness to all, but trust no one.” He gazed at her, expression gravely serious. 

“Yes, Father,” Kagome responded. She pulled back, still trying to make sense of what Savitr had told her. Her head hurt, and her heart twisted painfully. 

_Serenity...Rei...Minako...Ami...Makoto...they’re all so nice. Is it an act? No. It can’t be. What would they gain from befriending me? I’m nobody,_ Kagome told herself, but even as she thought that, a voice spoke inside her, _You were nobody. Now you are one of the Three Priestesses._

Savitr said, “However, I would be remiss as a father if I did not tell you how proud I am of you,” his face broke into a wide smile, “You showed great courage, and not just on that night,” here the king chuckled, “Although I admit, that night was very impressive. Remind me to tell Cook not to give you any forks when you’re upset.”

At Kagome’s incredulous stare, Savitr laughed, then added, “But honestly, daughter, your courage is a testament to you. You showed courage a month ago in returning to a place where you were once very unhappy. You showed courage in establishing relationships with those who once made fun of you,” the king paused, taking in Kagome’s shock, “Oh yes, I know about that. And those relationships turned into alliances to benefit your people. Most of all, though, you have courage in your heart. It is for that I am truly proud of you. And,” the Sun King waved a servant over, “I hope you will remember that.” Savitr nodded, and the servant bowed, then presented the box to Kagome. It was made of solid gold, and she handled it with care. It was far more elaborate than the presents she usually received, and she was slightly scared to discover its contents. Her curiosity, however, outweighed her fear, and full of excitement, she gently pushed open the lid. 

“Oh...my,” Kagome trailed off, lifting the exquisite jewel out of its box. She held the topaz-colored crystal in the palm of her hand, and it grew warm as she touched it. Its facets sparkled in the light. 

“Is this what I think it is?” she said breathlessly.

Savitr smiled, “It is cut from the Solarian Royal Crystal. Narchesa possesses the Sun Crystal, but somehow I feel that you will also be a protector of our kingdom- and it isn’t right for a representative and guard of the Sun Kingdom to go without a mark of royal favor.”

Kagome was flabbergasted. As far as she knew, this had _never_ happened before. Only the heirs to the kingdoms were granted the crystals necessary to guard them. There was only one (or two, if there was a set of prince and princess to account for knight and senshi) crystal in every generation. Hers wasn’t a Sailor Crystal, but it would still amplify whatever powers she possessed. Tears came to her eyes. Savitr had given her an enormous honor. 

“Thank you, Father!” Kagome cried, “Thank you so much!” She threw her arms around him, and the king embraced her. Giving her a final kiss on the cheek, he said:

“You are very welcome, Kagome. Remember what I said,” with that, Savitr walked up the gangplank to the starship. He waved once at the top, and Kagome enthusiastically waved back. Then he entered the ship, and the door closed behind him.

* * *

Kagome delicately strung the crystal on a thin silk string. She immediately wrapped it around her neck, determined to keep the incredible gift close to her at all times. 

_I can’t believe it,_ she thought in wonder, fingering the crystal, _It’s so beautiful. And for me!_

A soft knock came on her chamber door, “Your Highness?”

Kagome rushed over the door and hastily opened it, “Yes?”

A red-headed maid in a plain pink robe stood before her. She curtsied, then said: 

“Forgive me for the intrusion, Your Highness, but you are summoned to the Temple immediately.”

“Oh!” Kagome was surprised. She knew her training would begin soon, but she didn’t think it would begin _this_ soon. It was only a half hour later since her father had departed. She’d thought that they would have started priestess training the next day, not the next thirty minutes!

“Furthermore, Your Highness, Lady Iwa has requested that I tell you that your apartments are to be changed. For the duration of your priestess training, you will live in the Temple with Her Serene Highness Princess Rei and Her Imperial Highness Princess Kikyo,” the maid bowed again, “I have been assigned to take your things, if it pleases you.”

_Live in the Temple?_ The Temple was relatively isolated. It was connected to the palace by a single, airy walkway that stretched nearly a mile long. It had no other liaisons with the outside world, and for this reason, was rarely visited. Although Kagome had obviously known she would train there, she’d never thought she was going to live there. 

“Are you sure you don’t need any help moving anything?” Kagome asked as the maid hurried in. She was already folding clothes into neat piles, arranged by color. 

“No, thank you, Your Highness. I’m quite all right. I have all the help I need,” the maid flashed her a bright smile. 

At that moment, two familiar men bearing mountains of baskets walked in. 

In unison, they said, “Greetings-”

then separately:

“Your Highness.”

“Lady Kagome.” 

As the two guards glared at each other, Kagome giggled:

“Hello, Riku, Yuuto. It’s nice to see you again.” She was quite fond of the two guards. 

“And you, Lady Kagome!” Riku declared with a grin. Winking at her, he showed her the fork hidden in his jacket. Yuuto rolled his eyes and began to move the piles of clothing into some of the baskets. After a moment, Riku followed suit. 

Kagome said to the maid, “Are you _sure_ you don’t want any help?” What she really was saying was: Are you sure you can handle these two? She inclined her head towards the two guards. Riku was bumbling around, trying to keep the clothes in their delicate arrangements, while Yuuto was rebuking him in a tired manner. 

The maid replied, with a smirk, “Of course. I’m quite capable, especially with them,” she giggled, then her eyes grew wide, “Although forgive me for saying so, Your Highness, but you should hurry. Lady Iwa is most impatient. She is a stickler for punctuality.”

“Sounds like someone else I know,” Kagome said dryly. Nevertheless, she heeded the maid’s advice, and left. 

* * *

The Temple was connected to the palace by a long, covered walkway. Small bells were hung on the roof, which sloped in the same way as the roof on the palace. They twinkled in the warm wind. 

As Kagome approached the doors, she noticed there were no guards. 

_Am I allowed to go inside?_ She looked back and forth uncertainly. She had never been anywhere without guards, at least in some form. The guards served not only as a method of protection but also as a method of introduction. With guards, she could discover whether or not she was permitted to enter a room. She could also determine who was allowed in to see her. 

_It seems a little weird that they’d leave their Temple without anyone guarding it,_ she looked around one more time, but no one was in sight, _Well, I can’t stand out here forever._

Kagome gently pushed the door open. 

The inside of the Temple was dimly lit, even darker than the Mars Palace. There were only four candles, one for each wall. In the very center of the room was a large statue. Kagome timidly approached it. It was nearly ten feet tall, and she had to crane her head to see the very top. It depicted a very striking man, raising a sword to the heavens, in on hand. In the other, he held fire. Utterly captivated by the statue, Kagome reached toward the fire. It had been solid gold at first sight, but looking at it now, she swore she could see tiny golden lights flickering on its surface. When her finger touched the statue, she cried out in pain. 

“Ow!”

In shock, she turned her hand to see a star shaped mark had been burned onto her index finger. 

“What in the stars?” she trailed off, twisting her hand this way and that. 

“Kagome.”

The voice said her name as a statement, not a question. It was filled with a different kind of authority than Kagome had ever heard- not the regal, affected authority of kings and queens, but a more austere authority that seemed to come directly from inside the woman who the voice belonged to. She was about five foot two, with black hair that stretched to the floor and striking green eyes. Although gray streaks ran through her hair, she was utterly beautiful. 

“Oh!” Kagome spun around, “Um-” _Do I apologize?_ she thought, _and if so, who am I apologizing to? Is she part of the royal family, or-_

“I am Iwa, acting high priestess of Mars Ares,” Iwa introduced herself. She looked Kagome up and down, her gaze utterly impassive:

“Come with me.” With that, the priestess walked through the door behind her. She did not hold it open for Kagome, and the princess practically ran to keep up with her. 

Kagome wasn’t sure what to make of Iwa. She didn’t show Kagome the deference people traditionally paid her. Kagome wasn’t put off, exactly- she didn’t expect people to kowtow to her. However, no one had ever been so callous to her. 

In the next room, Rei and Kikyo were seated on the floor. Inuyasha was lurking in the back. He seemed uncomfortable in the room, but reluctant to leave his charge behind. He’d settled for pacing every so often, and leaning against the wall with his arms crossed the rest of the time. 

“Hi, Kagome,” Rei greeted her excitedly. Kikyo nodded, smiled, and murmured a soft hello. 

“Hey,” Kagome said back, out of breath. She rushed to Rei’s side, acutely aware that Iwa was judging her every move. She dropped to the floor next to Rei, but muffled her cry of pain when she discovered there was no pillow on the floor. 

_Where’s the pillow?_ Kagome thought, stunned. She’d become accustomed to the way Martians knelt on pillows in place of sitting on chairs, almost to the point of expecting them in every room. She couldn’t believe that Rei and Kikyo- like herself -had to be kneeling on the hard wooden floor. 

Iwa gave Kagome a sharp look, “I suggest you be careful. We are servants of Mars Ares. We need no accoutrements to kneel before him.”

_Even we give servants chairs,_ Kagome grumbled, _Besides, I don’t think he really wants us to be bruised like this!_

As if nothing had happened, Iwa continued, “My name is Iwa, acting high priestess of Mars Ares. I am in charge of training you all to become priestesses of Mars Ares as well. Before I can do that, however, there are things you all must know. Firstly, there will be no acknowledgment of rank or title here. Whatever you are wherever you come from, it does not matter: we are all servants of Mars Ares. As servants, you will address each other by your given names, and that is how we will address you. The only exception is for initiated priests and priestesses, who you, as uninitiated acolytes, should address as ‘Master,’ and ‘Lady.’ 

“Also as servants, you will have daily duties to the god- sweeping his Temple, cutting wood for his fire...it will be listed in your quarters each morning, and you will do it in a timely fashion and without complaint. 

“You will live in the same quarters. They are simple, but they are more than adequate. While you are here, you are required to dress in temple robes,” Iwa indicated her own ensemble, which consisted of a white top stitched with red thread, large, loose red pants, and plain wooden sandals, “which you will find already in your quarters. If they need any alterations, you should fix them yourself, or ask your fellow acolytes for help. Finally, before you conduct daily ablutions in the Inner Temple, you must cleanse yourself in the spring in the chamber next to the Temple to rid yourself of any negative energy or other impurities.

“Finally, be aware that due to certain outside circumstances, I am required to condense seven years of training into a month and a half. You _will_ need to listen, and you _will_ need to work.”

* * *

Lady Iwa had not been lying. The princesses had barely had time to find their way around the vast Temple- unguided -and locate their tiny quarters before it was time to collapse into bed and begin training at sunrise. 

Kagome awoke on her own to discover Rei and Kikyo already out. Both of their beds, though they were low to the floor, were neatly made. She didn’t know about Kikyo’s sleeping habits, but Rei always waited until the last minute she could to get up. However, she never slept past a time when she would be late. This meant that if Rei was already gone, Kagome was running very late.

_This is not good,_ Kagome thought grimly. She threw her covers to the side, not bothering to make her own bed. Grabbing her robes out of the tiny closet that the three girls shared, Kagome hurriedly pulled them on, haphazardly tying the strings. Leaning over the tiny sink they also shared, she splashed some freezing water on her face. She didn’t bother brushing her hair. Instead, she checked the small piece of parchment that had been slid under their door: 

_Rei- sweep the grounds of the outer Temple_

_Kikyo- replace and light incense of the Temple chambers_

_Kagome- chop twenty pieces of wood for the Sacred Fire_

_Please complete all tasks within an hour of waking. After that, you will eat a small breakfast and then adjourn to the courtyard for lessons._

_Chop wood?_ Kagome thought frantically, _How do I- How can I- How am I supposed to do that!? Where does the wood even come from? What do I chop it with!?_ The only place she knew of trees that were low enough to chop wood was in the forest in the back of the Temple. 

Biting her lip, Kagome ran out of the room and through the halls of the Temple. Priests and priestesses broke from their meditations to raise their eyebrows at the new acolyte stamping her feet down the hallways. Some shook their heads, others stifled a laugh. Still others craned their necks after her, trying to see what made this crazy girl a chosen one by Mars Ares.

Kagome was oblivious to all of them. She was intent only on finishing her task. By her count, she only had fifteen minutes to do so. 

At last, Kagome stumbled into the edges of the forest. She pulled out the old axe (she was pretty sure it was supposed to be some type of ceremonial tool, but she didn’t have time to locate anything else on short notice) she had found by the door, and immediately began sizing the trees up. There were quite a few trees that had branches within her range, however, only one of them had what she deemed appropriate enough wood for the Sacred Fire. 

Kagome gripped the axe in one hand, then raised her arm. 

* * *

Sesshomaru watched her, hidden inside a clump of trees. In his many years as ambassador to the Moon Kingdom, he’d been required to visit the other planets, including Mars, numerous times. During his previous visits, he’d discovered he liked to walk through the Martian forest in the mornings. It was exotic, and so dense with flowers, trees, and underbrush that the outside world seemed nonexistent. He found this extremely comforting. For a few minutes, in the peace and quiet of the palm trees and jungle flora, he was no longer the exile, the reviled outcast, the fallen prince. Here in the forest, he was just Sesshomaru. While part of him longed to be prince of the Moon Kingdom again, another just wanted to forget the kingdom that had so much blood on its hands. 

His daily ritual had been perfectly tranquil until he’d heard a noisy human practically trampling over the ground, startling the songbirds. He’d been a bit perplexed as to why Kagome had run into the forest, especially when she was supposed to be in her first day of priestess training, but when he saw her raise her rather ridiculous weapon (and quickly grasped her purpose), he had to choke back laughter. 

_How she thinks that’s going to work, I don’t know!_

Yet, when Sesshomaru noted Kagome’s determination, he also couldn’t help but admire her. Despite the many times she swung the axe at the branches, and either didn’t make contact, or struck a branch but only made small cuts in the wood. She didn’t seem to care that she kept failing. Instead, she only gritted her teeth and tried harder. 

Sesshomaru was impressed. 

_Humans have so little strength in their bodies, and most would have given up long ago._

As he watched her hack at the tree again, wild black hair whipping in the wind, her thin lips set in a straight line, he found himself thinking:

_Perhaps her strength lies within._

When Kagome started to hurl the axe at the tree branches, Sesshomaru smiled.

* * *

Kagome wiped the sweat off her brow. She was panting heavily, and her hands were red and chafed. She felt like she’d been trying to chop the branches off the tree for ages. Gazing at the tree in frustration, she thought angrily:

_Stupid tree! How many times is it going to take!? I only have five minutes to get this done!_

A familiar voice said, as if out of nowhere:

“Kagome, that axe is nearly three thousand years old. You’re not going to be able to cut anything with it.”

Kagome froze. Slowly, she turned to her right, and sure enough, Sesshomaru stood at the edge of the forest. He was dressed in his normal robes, and his swords were back at his hip. His long white hair blew in the wind, and his coloring made him stand out against the green and red growth of the forest. He looked as if he was a fey creature, someone out of a mythical tale who did not belong in the mundane human world. It was his gold eyes, however, that made her pause. Though he was not smiling, his eyes were filled with warmth.

_Where did he come from!? More importantly...why did he have to see me now!? I’m sweaty...and tired..._

Trying to hide her embarrassment, Kagome held the axe awkwardly. She’d known it was old, but she didn’t think that it would have made the weapon less effective. Actually, she hadn’t been thinking at all- she’d merely wanted to get the wood as fast as possible. It wasn’t as if she’d had her pick of weapons.

“Would you like...” the demon lord swallowed as if he was tasting something foreign, hardly believing he was gong to offer a human his assistance, “....some help?” Immediately, he felt angry with himself. He had vowed never to aid a human of the Sol System the night the Moon Kingdom- the Moon Kingdom of his father -fell. They were all blackguards, traitors, and murderers. They cut down those who were less advantageous to them with a second thought. They would do anything, and sacrifice anyone, for their own gain. 

He, Sesshomaru, had sworn he would never be like them. He was above such petty tactics. If that meant he was an outcast amongst the Sol System people, then he was a proud one.

_Fool,_ he chastised himself. Yet at Kagome’s grateful smile, some of his regret lessened.

“Yes, please!” Kagome said, surprised and thankful, “I need twenty pieces of wood...I was supposed to get them for the Sacred Fire, but I woke up late, and now I have to get them in three minutes-” she found herself rambling, and abruptly cut herself off. 

_By the stars, shut up!_ she told herself, _He’ll think you’re an idiot!_ She clapped a hand over her mouth, determined not to say anything stupid.

“You will have the wood in four seconds,” Sesshomaru promised. 

Kagome barely had any time to take that in before the demon lord unsheathed one of his swords and elegantly made a slice at the tree. All Kagome saw of the movement was a silver flash. To her shock, within seconds, exactly twenty branches- the finest ones on the tree -were neatly laid on the ground before her. They were also perfectly sized for her to pick up and carry easily. 

Kagome looked back and forth from Sesshomaru to the wood, stunned. He offered a smile, for only a fraction of a second. Later, Kagome would ask herself if he’d even smiled at all.

Several bells tolled out from the Temple. 

Kagome cursed under her breath, dropped to her knees, and quickly gathered up the wood. She ran for the Temple. 

“Thank you so much, Sesshomaru!” she called over a shoulder, “I truly appreciate it!”

As she disappeared into the Temple, the demon lord again told himself, _Fool._

* * *

The morning went by in a blur. After Kagome barely delivered the wood to the Sacred Fire in time, the three girls were taught the story of Mars Ares. Although Rei complained that she knew the story by heart, a quick rebuke by Lady Iwa put her in her place, and she quietly listened too. 

They were then required to recite the pivotal points of the story back to Lady Iwa. Perhaps because of Rei’s complaint, Iwa was especially hard on her, and nitpicked her about details. Kagome and Kikyo both told the story to Iwa’s satisfaction- at least for the first day. 

In the afternoon, they were brought to the courtyard in the back of the Temple. To Kagome’s shock, Iwa announced: 

“Now, you know Mars Ares is the god of fire, creativity, life, passion, and enlightenment. However, he is also the god of war. It is our duty as priestesses not only to spread his love and knowledge to others, but also to protect them in times of war, and perhaps even go to war over matters of justice ourselves,” she looked at them sternly, “Therefore, it is absolutely necessary for all of his priests and priestesses to be proficient in weapons.” She gestured to the array of weapons spread before them on the ground. Swords, axes, spears, bows, whips, and daggers of all types were arranged in no particular order. Most of them looked ancient. 

“Before we begin, you must seek out the weapon the god has designated for you. I want you to find the weapon with your mind. Choose the weapon that feels best to you.”

_The weapon that feels best? What are we supposed to do, stab ourselves with them and try out which one has the least pain?_

Unsure what to do, Kagome watched the others. Rei didn’t waste any time. She merely closed her eyes for a half second, then confidently walked to the section of bows. Without further ado, she picked up a bow made of blood-red wood without any hesitation. 

Kikyo took a bit longer. Unlike Rei, she did not close her eyes. Instead, she scanned the weapons. She took a few steps towards the bows, and then she too bent down to select one. Her weapon of choice was a large bow made of ash. The bow was nearly taller than Kikyo herself, but she wasn’t at all dominated by it. In fact, it seemed to fit her perfectly. 

_How did they know so quickly?_

Kagome was overwhelmed and confused as she hastily looked back and forth at the myriad weapons. She could feel Iwa’s gaze on her, and swallowed. Shaking off her nerves, Kagome surveyed the weapons. Swords, daggers, spears, clubs, bows....

_There’s so many!_

Deciding she didn’t want to appear as if she were copying Rei and Kikyo, she avoided the bows. Instead, she surveyed the swords. Most of them were plain and made of iron. At the very end of the pile, she found a sword made of hammered, rippling gold. It reminded her of the rivers at home in the Sun Kingdom, which were a constant shade of shining gold. Finding comfort in the familiar, she stretched down and picked up the sword. 

_It’s so heavy!_ Kagome flexed her fingers, determined to keep her grip on the sword. This was her first day as a priestess-in-training, after all. An old blade wasn’t going to bother her. 

“Are you certain, Kagome,” Iwa said, raising her eyebrow, “that a sword is the weapon Mars Ares wants you to wield?” Her sharp green eyes pierced Kagome’s with a terrifying intensity. Kagome got the distinctly uncomfortable feeling that Iwa knew more than she let on. 

However, Kagome also didn’t want to appear indecisive or weak in front of Kikyo and Rei. Swallowing her fear, she declared:

“Yes.” 

“Very well,” Iwa nodded, “We will spar. Kikyo, Rei- you will go to the mountain with Master Haruo and Master Aki. They are our most accomplished archers. As neither of you have wielded bows before, it is best to begin your lesson at a distance. You will start by shooting trees. You may go.” 

Rei gave a deep bow to the elder priestess, with one fist cupped in another, “Thank you for your guidance, Lady Iwa.” She kept her head low. Kikyo, noting Rei’s actions, awkwardly repeated them. Then the two of them shouldered their bows, retrieved about twenty-five arrows each, and departed up the mountain trail. They were soon lost in the sea of green and red vegetation. 

Kagome watched them go, uneasiness filling her heart, “Um...Lady Iwa?” the priestess gave her a sharp look, but Kagome continued, “Where do I go?”

“You will be staying with me. You see,” Iwa reached behind her back, and to Kagome’s utter shock, pulled a scimitar nearly two feet long from her robes, “Just as Master Haruo and Master Aki are our top archers, I am a master swordswoman. Queen Ariesna was adamant you receive the best training. If you still truly believe you are meant to wield the sword, then I will teach you.” She tossed the scimitar in the air, spun once, then retrieved it. Kagome’s mouth dropped open. Iwa gave Kagome a knowing smirk, then began to advance menacingly towards her. 

“Lady Iwa,” Kagome stuttered, panic filling her voice as the priestess came closer and closer, her scimitar raised, “Aren’t you going to teach me the basics first? I’ve never used a sword before- you said Kikyo and Kagome were going to learn by shooting trees-” She shrieked and jumped back as Iwa swung the scimitar at her. Wind whistled by her cheek. 

“Teaching you the proper way to hold a sword is a waste of time. Unlike archery, it is not going to matter in battle. Swordplay in a fight is governed by pure instinct. Therefore, it is only with instinct- the first and only true knowledge all of us have -that we will fight,” with that, Iwa waved the scimitar again, and charged towards Kagome, who just barely dodged. 

“You mean,” Kagome gasped, “that you’re not going to teach me _anything!?_ ” 

_By Serenity, I’m going to die on my first day!_

Unbelievably, Iwa laughed, “I never said that, Kagome. However, I do suggest you fight back.” Once again, Iwa came closer. This time, Kagome was not able to dodge quickly enough. In horror, she saw six strands of her own hair fall elegantly to the ground. 

“You should be careful not to let that happen,” Iwa warned as she whipped her scimitar to the left, “if a priest, priestess, sage, or even an enemy warrior possesses a personal effect of yours- whether it be your hair, fingernails, skin, and even your blood -they can cast a curse on you, and even control you if they are strong enough.” Kagome hurriedly stamped on her hair, grinding them into the ground so Iwa couldn’t pick them up. Immediately afterwards, she finally used her own sword. Even though her muscles groaned at the movement, her blade finally made contact with Iwa’s scimitar. A clang of metal rang through the air. 

Iwa said nothing at the block. Instead, she only came down harder and harder on Kagome. Her attacks became faster and more complex. At times, the scimitar seemed to move so fast that Kagome could barely see it at all. Eventually, she couldn’t see it anymore. 

_What do I do now!?_

“Focus, Kagome!” Iwa commanded brusquely, “Follow what you feel. Follow what you feel about me!”

Kagome didn’t have time anymore to ponder Iwa’s bizarre statements. She was too preoccupied with the whizzing blade in front of her to fight the infuriating priestess’ demands. Allowing all thought to leave her mind, she summoned up all our conflicting feelings- about Sesshomaru, about the princesses, about her home, about herself, about that day, and last of all, about Iwa. 

Suddenly, Kagome moved her sword to her right at the exact moment Iwa moved hers to the left. The blades met, and Kagome perfectly parried Iwa’s scimitar away. The priestess smiled, then moved her scimitar once more. Again and again Kagome deflected the scimitar.

_I’m fighting back!_ Kagome thought in wonder, a childlike glee coursing through her veins, _I can fight back! All I have to do is- is,_ she couldn’t describe it, _feel-_ feel _Iwa!?_

“That’s it, Kagome,” Iwa praised her, “Follow what you feel.” 

Kagome relaxed for a second-

and that’s when Iwa tripled her efforts. 

For the first time, Kagome understood why Iwa was considered a master swordswoman. Despite her age, she had endless mobility. Her scimitar was like an extension of her body, and she used it to devastating effect. Although Kagome had been able to fight back in the beginning, she was weakening under this new onslaught. Her muscles ached, and her arms felt like lead. Sweat was pouring down her back. 

_By the stars, I’m- I’m going to lose! Or at the very least, lose a hand!_ Panic began to take root in her heart. 

Iwa barked, “Do what you feel Kagome! Not what you think- what you feel!” She lunged toward Kagome. This time, her scimitar was aimed at her heart. 

Kagome stumbled back, and started to lose her footing. Though her sword clattered the ground, she caught herself. Her hand scraped the ground, then came upon a strangely shaped object. Startled, she found her hand rested upon a small bow. It was made of plain brown wood. 

Iwa stepped towards her, scimitar raised. 

Without a second thought, Kagome jumped to her feet and hurled the bow in front of her like a shield. Unlike Kagome had been expecting, the scimitar did not cut the bow. Rather, crackling pink energy surrounded the bow. The scimitar rebounded against the field of energy, then ultimately was pushed back. 

Iwa flashed her a brilliant smile, then sheathed the scimitar and began to walk away. 

Taken aback, Kagome asked, “Wait! Where are you going? I mean, Lady Iwa, why are you leaving?” She was gasping for breath. The priestess, however, was not even winded. Not a strand of hair was out of place. Her green eyes were glittering with triumph. 

“I am returning to the Temple. I am finished teaching for today. It is just as I thought.”

_What in the stars is she talking about?_

Iwa directly answered her thoughts, “If you recall the Prophecy of the Three Priestesses, you will know that the great god Mars Ares said each of his priestesses one of his gifts. Those gifts, as you know, are-

“Body, mind, and heart,” Kagome replied. It had been drilled into her that morning. 

“Indeed. Each of you have some degree of all the gifts, but there is one that you all personally specialize in. I thought for Rei it would be mind- she has always had potent psychic gifts, and her nearly immediate selection of a weapon today proved that her gift is Mind. Kikyo possesses the gift of Body- she chose a longbow that no normal person, not even a demon, can wield. If what Master Aki is telling me is true, then her strength is evident. She has formidable powers, the likes of which have not been seen in a thousand years,” Iwa gestured towards the grove, and right on cue, an arrow shot elegantly into a tree. The tree promptly exploded in a blaze of pink light. Wood shards scattered everywhere, and a tornado of leaves swept away into nothingness. 

“And you, Kagome,” Iwa said, turning back to face her, “You have the gift of heart. You can look past others’ judgments of someone to see the true them. You can feel the true intent of anyone, and sense whether they are good or evil. I also believe you will have extraordinary healing abilities.” She smiled at Kagome. 

Instantly, Kagome knew what she said was true. 

_That was how I could fight her,_ she was utterly amazed, _I could...I could_ feel _her!_

“Lady Iwa...” Kagome trailed off, “You’re psychic too, aren’t you? You’re like Rei?”

“Yes, although I am certain as a chosen one of Mars Ares she will one day surpass me.”

“If you are, then shouldn’t you have known our gifts already?”

“Very astute, Kagome,” Iwa nodded approvingly, “and yes. I was nearly certain that those would be how your gifts would be distributed,” she gazed at the sky, “but I have learned over many years never to assume what Mars Ares would do, or what he wants. I am his servant. To serve him best, I must make sure I know his wishes absolutely before I proceed down the wrong path. For that reason, I needed to see what you all would do.”

“If Kikyo and Rei already showed you they were Body and Mind, though,” Kagome bit her lip, confused, “then you could have guessed I was Heart. Why did you need to fight me?”

“Because they showed no hesitation with their gifts. You did,” Iwa said comfortingly, “and there is nothing wrong with being afraid. Nevertheless, I had to fight you to force you to let go of that fear and insecurity. You have been given a truly amazing gift, and you should have every right to use it proudly. If I had not fought you, and forced you to feel, not think, you would never have accessed it properly.” 

“So...” Kagome could hardly believe what she was hearing, “that whole fight was a sham?” 

Iwa pondered for a moment, then said delicately:

“I wouldn’t call it a sham. I would call it an exercise. I was teaching you, after all- just not with a sword,” she glanced at Kagome appraisingly, “though I must say, for not having a sword as your true weapon, you did a fair job. If ever you have to handle a sword in battle, you will be fine. Still,” Iwa leaned over to pick up the golden sword from where Kagome had dropped it, “you should know your own true weapon by heart. So tomorrow, you will report for archery lessons with Kikyo and Rei as well.” With that, the priestess began to walk towards the Temple. 

“And now?” Kagome inquired. There were still another three hours left of training for the day. She was certain there had to be something else she could do. 

“Now you will pick up and clean the weapons, then return them to their proper places.,” at Kagome’s incredulous gasp, Iwa said firmly, “This is a punishment to teach you not to question your teachers and to trust your feelings. After that, you may do as you wish.” 

Kagome grumbled, “Thank you, Lady Iwa, for your guidance.” 

_I don’t see why I have to clean the weapons,_ she thought miserably. Nevertheless, she dutifully began to pick up the various war paraphernalia. 

“You are most welcome for the guidance, Kagome,” Iwa said cheerfully, “and you have to pick up the weapons because it teaches you discipline and respect.” 

Kagome froze. All of the weapons fell. Eyeing them, she moaned. They were all in a twisted, haphazard mess. It would take a while for her to sort them out.

_Remind me not to think about complaining when psychic priestesses are around._

“That would be an excellent habit to get into. I will see you later, Kagome.”

“Good day,” Kagome said, through gritted teeth. 

She sighed, eyed the mountains of weapons before her, and remembered the maid who’d packed her belongings. 

Then she said, _Where’s Riku and Yuuto when_ I _need them?_


	12. A Petty Human Girl

**Chapter 11: A Petty Human Girl**

Three days came and went. Kagome found her days filled with training from sunrise to sunset. In the mornings, she went from chores to lessons in history and religious rites to learning how to identify various herbs in the field. That was her favorite part of the morning- she found herself thrilled by the strange shrubs and awed by their medicinal properties. The priests and priestesses would not yet allow her to treat people on her own, but they often had the young acolytes accompany them when they went to nearby villages and towns to take care of the sick. Kagome watched with fascination as the priests and priestesses administered to the villagers. They listened to their stories with care, used the described symptoms to make a preliminary diagnosis, then used psychic gifts to discover any other injuries the person might be unaware of. Afterwards, they went and gathered fresh herbs for the patient, ground them into a solution, and gave them to the patient. Once that was done, they laid their hands on them. Kagome was astonished the first time she saw Iwa heal a person. The old priestess was smiling, her green eyes bright with tenderness, as she rested her hands carefully over a fellow elderly woman’s chest. The woman was a common peasant who had a grave form of pneumonia, and her family could not afford a professional doctor. They’d sought the advice of several doctors, asking for a reduced fee, but most of the doctors had told the family the woman, at age seven hundred, was not long for this world anyway. 

The family, however, would not take this for an answer, and they begged the priests and priestesses for help. So it was on that morning that Kagome, Kikyo, and Rei were there to witness the commoner’s healing. 

Once Iwa’s hands were laid on the woman’s chest, she closed her eyes and whispered a mumbled prayer. A warm yellow glow appeared around her hands, and the light spread out over the woman’s chest before disappearing inside it. The room was utterly silent. 

After a moment, the elderly woman’s eyes snapped open. 

“Oh!” she said, lifting a fluttering hand to her chest, “I can breathe again!” her eyes watering with appreciation, she embraced Iwa, “Thank you, Lady Priestess-”

“Iwa,” Iwa supplied. Unlike when she’d introduced herself to the princesses, Kagome noticed, Iwa’s tone was warm and genuine, and she seemed not to care how she was addressed.

“Iwa-sama, thank you! You have pulled me back from death itself!” she grabbed Iwa’s hands in her own, “You cannot know how much this means to me!” tears filled her eyes as she said, “I can now see my grandson’s wedding.” 

Seeing the woman’s awestruck joy, Kagome felt humbled and a little bit ashamed. 

_There I was complaining about pillows, and here she was, almost dying. I just wanted to be comfortable and she wanted to see her grandson be married._ Kagome couldn’t help feeling embarrassed by her earlier behavior. 

_How many other people are like her?_ she wondered, _just hoping to make it to the next day while the world goes around not noticing their suffering? How many people on my own world are like that?_ _How could_ I _have gone so long without noticing them?_ Her cheeks burned red.

“Young woman,” the old woman’s voice pulled Kagome out of her melancholy thoughts, “why are you embarrassed to be here?” Her question was sincere, and there was no criticism in it. She gazed at Kagome, concern and care filling her eyes. 

Iwa, meanwhile, had crossed her arms and raised her eyebrow. Pure disapproval radiated from her, and Kagome flinched. Now that she knew about her newfound ability to “feel,” she was much more aware of others’ emotions and intentions around her- so much more aware that it was like she had been blind before. Sometimes the feelings overwhelmed her and frightened her. For example, right now she would much rather have been blind to Iwa’s inner scrutiny and threatening of future punishment for insulting this woman. 

“I’m not embarrassed!” Kagome said hurriedly, “It’s only that I wish I could do more...” she trailed off, “I want to help those from my world, and I’m ashamed that I haven’t helped them at all.” She looked down, thoroughly embarrassed. 

“Do not berate yourself,” the woman counseled, coming over to Kagome with the warm air of a grandmother, “but rather be happy you’ve been given such an incredible opportunity to be a priestess. With time, I am sure you will help thousands.” She said this with such an utter certainty it was as if she declaring the sky was pink- which, on Mars, it was. 

_Well, I don’t know about thousands,_ Kagome thought, _but I hope so._

The woman smiled at her again, then turned back to Iwa, “Thank you again so much, Iwa-sama. I can never repay you.” She bowed deeply, one hand clasped in her fist. 

All at once, Iwa’s emotions shifted to pure love and graciousness. Kagome almost fell over at the sudden change. It felt like being slammed into by a tidal wave. 

_By Mars, I’ve got to learn how to control that_! she gasped. Rei shot her a glance, and Kikyo gave her a worried look. She weakly nodded at them, and they backed off. Nevertheless, she could still sense their concern, even though they had already turned their attention back to Iwa.

“There is nothing to repay,” Iwa embraced the woman, “Merely live long and joyously, be kind to all, and rejoice in Mars Ares for his love.” Everyone’s gazes remained fastened on the pair for a long time, and at last the priestesses closed their eyes to administer a final blessing. Their words become the soft lilting murmur of Martian prayer.

Abruptly, the feelings of tenderness and gratefulness in the room were superseded by one of utter pain and fear. Once again, Kagome nearly reeled. This time, though, she was determined not to allow anyone to notice her. Instead, she only had one concern: to help whoever was hurting so badly. Surreptitiously, she backed out of the room, then began to run across the village.

* * *

At last, Kagome came to a tiny clearing in the forest at the edge of the village. Curled up against a rock was a crying child holding his leg to his chest. The limb protruded at a harsh angle, and Kagome felt pity surge into her own chest.

Without a second thought, she approached the boy, “Hello.”

The boy started. His eyes widened in fear and he stumbled, trying to run away from her, but was unable to go very far with his injured leg.

_Golden eyes!_ Kagome was shocked, _Like Sesshomaru’s eyes. Is this child a...? But the demons were banished!_

Nevertheless, giving the terrified boy a second glance, Kagome could immediately tell he was a demon. Like Sesshomaru, his hair was white, though it was not nearly as long. He was small, about nine years old, but Kagome could tell from the way his aura was glowing red around him that even a child such as this would be powerful when frightened. 

“Please don’t be afraid,” Kagome said softly, crouching down to the boy’s level, “My name is Kagome. I’d like to heal you.” She was careful to stay across the clearing, very aware that if she scared the boy much more the results could be disastrous. 

“P-p-please,” the boy stuttered, “Don’t come any closer! Don’t hurt me!” He closed his eyes as if bracing for a blow, and Kagome was very confused. Her eyebrows knit together. 

“Why would I hurt you?” perturbed by his fear, she stood up once more and started to take a step towards him.

“Because you are miko.”

Kagome immediately froze. She turned around, and sure enough, there was Sesshomaru standing behind her. Oddly, it wasn’t his sudden appearance that fazed her- she’d gotten used to that -it was the dejected tone in his voice. Sesshomaru, while not outwardly thrilled to see her, was never depressed by her presence, as far as she could tell. The fact he was so obviously saddened upset her.

“Prince Sesshomaru!” the boy cried happily. He tried to get to his feet and bow, but fell again. A thick blush covered his cheeks. 

Prince _Sesshomaru!?_

“Prince Sesshomaru?” Kagome inquired, her voice shaking as the impassive demon prince strode across the clearing. Sesshomaru didn’t reply. Instead, he knelt before the boy and gently examined his leg. 

“What did you do to this leg?” Sesshomaru said softly. 

The boy immediately said sheepishly, “Well, I was chasing the Martian sheep-”

“Martian sheep?” Kagome asked, her voice squeaking. She could barely process what was going on. There was a demon child on Mars. A demon child on a planet that had supposedly purged its demons long ago. Aside from that, the demon child called Sesshomaru _Prince_ Sesshomaru. That implied that there was an entire hidden society of demons on Mars, and that all of them recognized Sesshomaru as their prince. 

But that was impossible.

“Yes, Martian sheep,” Sesshomaru said tiredly, “They are wild here, and they like to obtain them for sacrifices to their god. For humans, it is very difficult to catch one, but for demons, it is sport,” a touch of affection creeping into his voice, he told the boy, “This Sesshomaru liked to chase them too, when he was young.”

“Really!?” the boy said excitedly. His whole face lit up. It was painfully obvious that Sesshomaru was an idol to him. The thought that he might share something in common with him was absolutely thrilling to the child. 

“Yes,” Sesshomaru replied, “This Sesshomaru did. And this Sesshomaru tripped on a rock, too.”

“ _You_ tripped on a rock!?” Kagome couldn’t imagine Sesshomaru tripping at all- or making any imperfect movement, actually. He was so graceful that it was impossible for her to fathom him making such a human error.

“Yes,” Sesshomaru gave her a sharp look, his eyes widened in warning. Clearly, he wasn’t comfortable discussing the subject with her. Kagome blushed and turned away. 

“Prince Sesshomaru,” the boy piped up, “Why do you tolerate the miko?” He gazed at her curiously, and cocked his head to the side. Obviously, he was no longer afraid of her with Sesshomaru here.

_Tolerate me!?_ Kagome thought angrily. _What in the stars!?_ She was about to fire a smart retort to the boy, when her inner tirade was interrupted: 

_Calm down, Kagome,_ Sesshomaru’s voice was clear in her mind. She stared at the demon lord, stunned. His golden eyes met hers without any sign of surprise. 

_You’re psychic?_

_Of course not,_ she got the distinct impression he had snorted in laughter, _but all demons may speak telepathically. Some humans can. As a priestess, you qualify as one of those humans._

_Then why haven’t you talked to me like this before?_

_Because you have to invite that person into your mind, and once invited, you cannot banish them. It is a sign of ultimate trust, and Kagome, you must trust me now. Hachiro is deathly afraid of you, and his inner youkai will hurt you if you frighten him much more._

_Why?_ Kagome thought, bewildered, _I only want to heal him._

_Because you are a miko._

_A what?_

_A miko is what demons call a modern Martian priestess. Long ago, after the first purges, human Martian priestesses were charged with dealing with the sacred ones of Mars Ares. You know wolves and dogs are thought to be sacred to him. The thinking went that wolf and dog demons were special favorites of the god’s as well. The Kingdom of Mars, while wanting to ally itself with Serenity’s kingdom, could not bring itself to banish wolf and dog demons. So instead, they tried to ‘heal’ them. What they actually did was purify them- strip a demon of its demonic aura and more often than not, kill it. At the very least, the demon was paralyzed for life, weak, defenseless, and never the same. Thus, these demon hating priestesses, whom we call miko, are extremely frightening to many demons._

_Demons can’t attack priest- miko?_

_Most cannot. They are protected by a god’s power, after all. But some can._

_Can you?_ Kagome thought timidly, but the demon lord did not answer her. He told Hachiro: 

“This miko is my friend.” Hachiro’s gaze flicked back and forth between Kagome and Sesshomaru in utter bewilderment. He couldn’t understand it. 

“Your...friend?”

“Yes. She is a good miko.” 

“I didn’t think there were any good miko,” Hachiro said, his golden eyes meeting Kagome’s brown for the first time. He was hesitant to trust her, but his aura was fading. 

Warily, Kagome approached him, “Well, I’m a good priestess. When I said I wanted to heal you, I meant I wanted to heal your leg, not...purify you.” She shuddered at the thought. She couldn’t believe that a nine year old really thought she’d wanted to hurt him. 

Hachiro still seemed doubtful of her intentions, and Sesshomaru queried:

_Kagome, are you sure you can do that? You might accidentally purify him...and that is certain death for a child._

_Yes, I’m sure._ Kagome had no idea how she was so certain that she could heal Hachiro without hurting him, but she definitely knew that she could. Whether it was Iwa’s prophetic declaration that she would have extraordinary healing abilities or a feeling from Mars Ares, she knew it was true, and she was determined to help Hachiro. 

Slowly, Kagome knelt beside Sesshomaru in front of Hachiro, “May I...?” she gestured towards his injured leg. Hachiro looked at Sesshomaru, and the demon prince nodded. Swallowing, Hachiro nodded as well. 

Gently, Kagome felt his leg, “It’s broken.” She was slightly surprised, and Sesshomaru must have sensed this, for he said:

“Demons are immune to disease and blight, but our bodies are still bodies and we can be still be wounded and our bones can still be broken,” his eyes had grown dark, and Kagome wondered what he was thinking of- or more likely, what he was remembering. Deciding now was not the best time, she focused on Hachiro. 

“I’m going to heal you, okay?” she said, “but I need you to promise not to move. If you do, the energy could get redirected.” She laid her hands on the limb. 

“I can stay still,” Hachiro said, “I can be brave like Prince Sesshomaru.” 

Kagome smiled, “Yes, I bet you can be just as brave as him.” She snuck a peek at Sesshomaru, but he did not seem to have any change of expression. For a second, though, she was certain she’d caught him biting back a smile. 

With courage filling her own heart, Kagome closed her eyes. A soft pink light emanated from her hands, and it encompassed Hachiro’s leg. 

A few seconds later, Kagome opened her eyes. She laid her palms back on her lap. Although she felt the result in her heart, she wanted to be sure: 

“Well? How does that feel?”

Hachiro, shocked, said, “It feels...all better. Better than before, actually!” His voice grew louder and louder in excitement. 

“Hachiro, remember where you are,” Sesshomaru warned. The demon child was quickly chastened, and he whispered:

“My deepest apologies, Prince.” Tears flickered in his eyes. 

_Oh no..._ Kagome thought, feeling her heart contract. She couldn’t bear seeing any child cry. She didn’t know why- perhaps it was due to her practically raising Risuyo -but it nearly killed her any time it happened. 

Quickly, she added, “I’m sure Sesshomaru’s just worried about your safety, Hachiro. I know he’s very proud of you for being so brave, though.” 

Hachiro blinked, “He is?”

“Yes, he is. After all, you’re the first demon to face down a miko in hundreds of years and live, aren’t you?” Kagome smiled at him. A slow smile spread across Hachiro’s face. 

“I am, aren’t I?”

“Mmhm.”

“Well...I should probably get back. Thank you so much-” Hachiro paused, gauging Sesshomaru’s reaction, “...Lady Kagome.” He hugged the delighted girl, then took off through the forest, pure glee evident on his face as he disappeared into the underbrush. 

Sesshomaru watched him go, the happy light fading from his eyes as Hachiro left his view. He abruptly stood, and then, without a word, began to walk away. 

“Sesshomaru!” Kagome said, brushing the dust off her robes as she ran after him, “Where are you going?” She couldn’t help but be taken aback by his quick mood switches. Unlike humans- whose emotions she was now so sensitive to she could barely block them out -she could only feel some of his emotions. It was if he had placed a barrier against her. Several moments ago, when she healed Hachiro, she had felt astonishment, surprise, affection, and happiness emanating from Sesshomaru. But now...all emotion was gone. It was if he’d flicked off a switch and now he himself felt nothing at all- and so there was nothing for Kagome to sense. It unnerved her. 

“Back to the Martian Palace, as you should be getting back to the Martian village. Iwa is looking for you, and she is not happy you ran off.” He kept walking, his face and voice expressionless. Kagome couldn’t stand it. 

Kagome grabbed his shoulder- no easy feat, since the demon lord was at least a good foot taller than her -and demanded, “Don’t you think I deserve an explanation?”

“For what?” Sesshomaru said, back to his impassive self. His gold eyes glittered in the sunlight. 

“For why there’s a demon child running around on Mars when Mars supposedly banished them hundreds of years ago, and where exactly the child is running back to?” Kagome crossed her arms, “It’s a little...crazy.”

_It’s insane, actually._

“I will tell you only if you promise to ask Rei to teach you to block psychic invasion. Iwa looks over your daily thoughts whenever she is around you. You must be able to keep her out. The knowledge I am giving you would be devastating in the wrong hands,” this time Sesshomaru stopped walking. His gaze burned into Kagome’s own. A few months ago, Kagome would have shrunk under his intense stare, but no longer. 

Kagome narrowed her eyes, “But you said that once you invited someone into your mind, you couldn’t banish them. Iwa’s already been inside my mind.”

“Yes, but you didn’t invite her. She invaded, psychically. If you were to banish her permission, she could no longer see your secrets.”

_I doubt that, but if it will make you talk..._

“Fine,” Kagome huffed, “I promise. Now tell me!” Her brown eyes met Sesshomaru’s gold defiantly. She crossed her arms again, unwilling to leave until she got an answer.

“I already told you that wolves and dogs are thought to be sacred to Mars Ares, and that Martians were reluctant to banish wolf and dog demons. Thus, many of the demons took refuge here. Although the miko tried to purify them- and in many cases succeeded -a sizable minority survived by going into hiding. After several years, the miko thought the demons were gone, and they stopped searching for them. In actuality, a pack of dog and wolf demons has been living on Mars for hundreds of years, undetected by the rest of the Silver Millennium,” Sesshomaru explained this matter-of-factly, as if she had asked him what day of the week it was. He didn’t appear to have any care for the fact that what he was saying was unbelievable. 

“That doesn’t make any sense,” Kagome riposted, “How could the priests and priestesses not have noticed? They’re psychic! Wouldn’t they be able to sense a demonic aura? I was able to tell Hachiro was a demon almost immediately! The same with Luna and Artemis. There’s no way they wouldn’t be able to track an entire pack,” she stumbled a bit on the word, “of demons living in the forest not twenty miles from the temple!”

“Actually, there is a way. Dog and wolf demons are sacred to Mars Ares just as our animal counterparts are,” Sesshomaru explained, “and so, the god himself protects us. A holy barrier exists around the caverns in which we hide. It masks the demonic aura, yet it also doesn’t harm the demons. Mars Ares has no wish to destroy those sacred to him through ‘purification.’”

_I wonder what the royals would think if they knew Mars Ares is protecting the demons from them._

“And these demons,” Kagome said doubtfully, “call you Prince Sesshomaru. How can they do that, knowing the way everything is these days?”

_They have to know the Moon Kingdom of Sesshomaru’s time fell ages ago._

“I am the only demon royal- except for my mother, and she abdicated, so she is no longer eligible for the throne -still alive. To the pack, I was, am, and always will be Crown Prince of the Moon Kingdom. They view Serenity as an usurper. One day, it is their hope that I will be King of the Moon Kingdom,” Sesshomaru trailed off, and he looked up into the sky. The Moon Kingdom itself was much smaller here. It was a dim circle of silver light that hovered around Earth- itself a small silver circle -and unless you looked closely, it was nearly impossible to see. Kagome couldn’t tell what Sesshomaru was thinking- he wasn’t using his telepathy. She could, however, sense his melancholy.

_At least it’s some emotion..._

“And you?” Kagome said softly, resting a hand on his arm, “Do you hope that too?”

Sesshomaru stared at her as if he was trying to see inside her soul, then finally replied, “It does not matter what I hope for. It is impossible for me to be king. The days of my family are long over. Besides,” he sighed, “I do not know if I want to rule over a land of bloodshed and hate. Even if I could rule it,” he said wistfully, “I could never erase the past. I could never forget what the humans have done to me. I could never bring my father back.” 

* * *

Nearly two weeks had passed since Kagome had healed Hachiro. Sesshomaru had seemingly avoided her since then, and she couldn’t help but wonder why. 

_Did I make him reveal too much?_ she thought worriedly, _Does it...hurt him when I ask him questions about his past?_ She hoped not. Despite her misgivings- and the fact she knew that they could never be together -she cared very deeply for Sesshomaru. The last thing in the world she wanted was to hurt him. 

Kagome knew the demon prince was still around, though. Kikyo mentioned talking to him at least once every day, so he was definitely there. He hadn’t returned to the Moon Kingdom. Despite this, Kagome wished she could talk to him. 

Nevertheless, the demon lord remained elusive. Kagome took out her frustrations during her archery lessons, which were equally frustrating. Even though she now understood that the bow and arrow was her true weapon, no matter how she tried, she couldn’t do it. Both Kikyo and Rei were shooting their arrows easily and accurately, and Kikyo was even shooting with such deadly precision that she could hit a target nearly one hundred yards away. Kagome, however, couldn’t seem to hit a target twenty feet in front of her. She had no idea why, and it was driving her absolutely crazy. 

As the sun was setting one day, Kagome was wearily returning to their quarters. She hadn’t accepted Rei’s invitation to eat with her- she was too embarrassed to face the other priests and priestesses at dinner. She knew the priests and priestesses were watching their progress and critiquing them closely. She had no desire to sit under their scrutinizing faces while she ate. In fact, she was so disappointed in her lack of progress that she wasn’t hungry at all. 

“Kagome!”

Kagome turned to see Kikyo running after her, Inuyasha trailing her like a shadow. Her long black hair whipped around in the wind, and her face was lit up in a smile. For his part, the half-demon seemed content to follow Kikyo. So long as she was happy, so was he, and for the moment, at least, Kikyo was happy. 

“What is it, Kikyo?” Kagome asked tiredly. Her muscles ached. She had no other desire than to curl up on her pallet, got to sleep, and forget her incompetency with the bow and arrow. 

“Kagome,” Kikyo said, panting a bit, “I want to help you with your archery.” Her blue eyes met Kagome’s with a calm but determined gaze. Kagome had no idea where this insane idea had come from, but she wasn’t at all amenable to it. She was embarrassed and discouraged about her archery, and the last thing she needed was Kikyo’s talent rubbed in her face. 

“Kikyo,” Kagome replied, her voice bitter, “You and I both know I can’t shoot to save my life. For whatever reason, Mars Ares wants me to use a weapon I’m terrible at. A fish could shoot better than me.”

At her comment, Inuyasha snorted in laughter. Kikyo turned and glared at him, and the hanyou immediately clammed up, his face resuming a serene, innocent expression. 

“Kagome,” Kikyo declared, “I promise you, you can shoot a bow and arrow, and quite well too. Give me ten minutes of your time, and you’ll be shooting perfectly.” There was no doubtfulness or hesitancy in her tone. She believed that Kagome could learn to shoot an arrow in ten minutes. Kagome, for her part, could sense utmost confidence radiating from Kikyo. There was no fear or second-guessing or insecurity. To Kagome, who experienced these emotions ever time she picked up a bow, it was infuriating to have Kikyo standing here, so strong in her own abilities that she actually had the gall to believe she could help Kagome. 

_What do you think you’re going to do, demonstrate and magically pass your gifts to me!? By Mars, sometimes I can’t stand you!_

“Don’t get me wrong, Kikyo,” Kagome said, “I _really_ appreciate it, but I highly doubt I can shoot it at all, never mind perfectly. Never mind in ten minutes.” She closed her eyes and sighed, bitterness and jealousy filling her being. 

_I can’t shoot like you. I’ll_ never _be able to shoot like you. Please don’t humiliate me by making me do this._

“Kagome,” Kikyo reached out and took her hand, “Please, just try. For ten minutes, that’s all.” 

Guilted by the elder girl’s pleading, Kagome gave in, “Fine. What do you want me to do?” 

Kikyo’s face lit up as if from within. Her bright blue eyes were wide with excitement. She eagerly guided Kagome to a valley where a few targets remained from their earlier session with Master Haruo and Master Aki. There were five of them, set up a line from closest to farthest distance. As the distance increased, the targets themselves became smaller. The last target, nearly 200 yards away, was about the size of the small, checkered ball Tyru and Risuyo played with at home. 

In the sunset, the five targets looked ghoulish to Kagome. On Mars, the sun set quickly and without delay. The hot days were plunged into freezing nights. The gardens in the Royal Palace were protected by Martian magic- they preserved the heat of the day -but the Temple had no such warding spells, as “servants of Mars Ares will live according to the way Mars made his planet.” In other words, they used neither heating nor cooling spells, and if anyone dared stay outside the Temple at night, they would die. By Kagome’s account, Kikyo and she only had ten minutes until they would need to go inside. 

_This better be worth it,_ she thought angrily. She’d been looking forward to sitting in the hot springs by herself before bed. With all the priests and priestesses at dinner, no one would be using them. She could wash off the day’s impurities without the silent criticism, then go to her quarters and be sleep before anyone was the wiser. 

Completely oblivious to Kagome’s inner turmoil, Kikyo told Kagome to kindly set her bow and arrow into position. Kagome, still inwardly ranting, obliged. Her mouth was already set in a grimace. 

Without waiting for Kikyo’s command, Kagome let the arrow fly. It zoomed about twenty feet to the left, where an amused Inuyasha caught it mid-air. He twirled the arrow around his fingers expertly, a smug grin on his face:

"Wow! I think that was the worst one yet!"

Kagome felt her blood boil, but said nothing. Kikyo had marched over to her bodyguard, snatched the arrow from his hands, thwacked him on the side of the head with it, and returned, handing the arrow back to Kagome without a word to her lover. Kagome, stifling a laugh, sensed annoyance and irritation mixed with love coming from Kikyo, but the emotions morphed back to a calm determination when the girl returned to her role as a teacher.

"Relax," Kikyo instructed her, pulling Kagome's arms into proper position herself, "Drop your arm a little bit in the back. Also, try not to yank the bow string. You're very tense."

"Of course I'm tense!" Kagome exploded, fighting back tears, "I can't do this! I've spent two weeks trying and trying to get this ridiculous arrow to work! All the time you and Rei are shooting like pros, and I'm shooting like a two year old!" She was panting with rage and embarrassment.

Please. I don't want extra humiliation today. Maybe that's why Sesshomaru's avoiding me...he knows I can't shoot.

That thought was enough to ruin her mood even further.

Kikyo said nothing at first, but after a moment, she whispered, "Shoot the arrow."

Kagome, embarrassed at her outburst, struggled to rein in her anger. With a dejected sigh, she let the arrow fly once more.

The arrow flew neatly to the farthest target. It struck the bullseye, the shaft of the arrow vibrating slightly. Nevertheless, it was stuck fast to the target. Its silhouette could clearly be seen against the sunset.

Inuyasha whistled in appreciation.

A hand flew to Kagome's mouth, "Oh...my...Mars." Her mouth dropped open, and she looked back and forth from Kikyo to the arrow, filled with disbelief.

_I did it_ , she thought, utterly stunned, _I did it!_

Kagome stared at Kikyo. A small smile played on the Andromedan's lips. Her eyes glittered with pride and amusement. The sunlight made gold flecks appear in her eyes.

"Try again."

Still in shock, Kagome obliged.

Four more times she shot the arrow, adjusting her position as Kikyo had taught her. Just by dropping her elbow and loosening her grip, she was able to shoot the arrow accurately. Each time she hit the targets cleanly.

"Not bad for a fish," Inuyasha commented dryly, a wolfish grin on his face. Casting a softer glance at Kikyo, he added, "Of course, you had an excellent teacher."

Kikyo blushed, casting her eyes down, then said, "Kagome was the one who shot the arrow." Inuyasha stared at her, his own golden orbs glittering.

"But I don't understand," Kagome cut in, interrupting the lovers' moment, "If all the problem was was my position...why didn't Master Haruo or Master Aki fix it?" She was utterly perplexed. The priests were master archers. Surely they would have noticed her error, especially one so minute as her form.

The beautiful girl shrugged, "I'm not sure. They must have had their reasons," Kikyo smiled, "either way, now you know you can shoot, too." Thoroughly satisfied, she adjusted her robe, then shivered:

"We should go in. The sun is setting." She set off for the Temple, Inuyasha at her heels. She walked with an air of grace, but the half-demon executed a series of high-flying jumps after her. It was a slightly comical image at first glance, but upon closer inspection, the two easily complemented each other.

Kagome paused, watching her home as it sank into the darkness of the night sky. The atmosphere rapidly grew cold around her. The mountains disappeared in a shroud of fog, and the forest trees were quickly becoming invisible. It was if Mars was intent in encasing her into a cocoon, separate an apart from everything she had ever known.

_How different everything is here...so removed. How different it is from what I expected it to be, recalling the demon child and Sesshomaru,_ Kagome thought, _but...is that really a bad thing?_

"Hey, fish-girl!" a tart voice called from far behind her.

Kagome whipped her head around. Kikyo and Inuyasha were standing at the doors of the Temple, with its tiny bells tinkling in the cold wind. Kikyo's own black hair flew out behind her in a gorgeous arc, and Inuyasha's white mane mingled somewhat with her own.

"Hurry up!" Inuyasha snapped, "It's freezing out here. Besides, aren't you hungry!" he folded his arms across his chest, and Kikyo rolled her eyes. She held out her hand towards Kagome:

"Come on. Let's have dinner."

Kagome stood still for a moment, contemplating the hand and Kikyo's offer.

_Honesty...care...friendship?_

Aware that her decision would affect all of their lives, Kagome waited a second.

Then, with a brilliant smile, she nodded, "Okay!" and ran for the Temple doors.

* * *

After that day, Kagome's skill with the bow was nearly at the level of Kikyo's and Rei's. Her accuracy was fantastic, and her technique impeccable. However, what Sesshomaru found most amazing about the entire thing was the little, determined face she made every time she set the bow. Her tiny pink lips were pursed, and her dark eyes flashed every time she shot an arrow. Brilliant pink light always surrounded the arrow and exploded as it hit its target.

And then, always then, did her face light up in a brilliant smile.

If one was to ask Sesshomaru, he couldn't explain why he still watched the Solarian miko. It had started out as part of his morning walk, only about a half hour. Then it had slowly morphed into a two hour observation of Kagome as she went about with Kikyo and Rei gathering herbs. Then three hours of archery practice. Eventually, it had encompassed the majority of his day.

Sesshomaru told himself that he was only following his official duties. He had to keep an eye on Kikyo and report to Empress Kikyuri on her progress, of course. And if Kagome happened to be with Kikyo most of the time...well, how could he _not_ watch her? She was with Kikyo, after all. He couldn't very well just not pay attention to an entire person.

If the demon prince was going to be perfectly honest with himself, however, he would have had to admit that it was none of those reasons. The truth was that he watched Kagome simply because she confused him.

All of Sesshomaru's life, he had understood everything easily and perfectly. First he had been a crown prince, and then the humans had tried to murder him as an innocent child. They'd tortured and killed his companions and stolen his kingdom. They'd even caused his father's death, never mind the destruction of his family. If it hadn't been for the Sol System humans, his life would have been very different. Even the Andromedan humans had offered them asylum, at least in part, because Kikyuri saw a major political opportunity in Erinna and Sesshomaru.

Humans had proven themselves to be selfish, corrupt, cruel, and willing to sacrifice anything to gain what they wanted. They had taught Sesshomaru a harsh lesson, a lesson that in order to survive, he had to remember.

To put it simply, there was good and there was evil. There was no gray. His kind had been good, and the humans had been evil. Thus, they were lesser beings, unworthy of his attentions, and he could ignore them. That had gotten him through his nine hundred years of life, and his nearly two hundred years as an ambassador to the Moon Kingdom.

But Kagome...

Kagome, that unimportant princess of the equally unimportant Sun Kingdom, which was, despite its ways, the very center of the Sol System, fit perfectly into that nonexistent gray area. She was supposed to hate demons, treat them as terrible creatures. All of the Sol System kingdoms did- or, at least in the cases of the Fire Planet and the Sea Planet, had to pretend to do so. Yet Kagome had shown him respect. She had shown Hachiro compassion and care. Although she was perfectly aware that they were demons, it hadn't mattered to her. She had treated them with kindness, and as equals.

Sol System humans were not supposed to trust demons. They called them liars and killers.

But Kagome had revealed her deepest secrets to Sesshomaru. When he had told her his own, she had not accused him of falsehood. Rather, she'd admitted that she herself didn't know the full truth- and that she could see that there had been holes in the story she'd been told by the Sol System royals.

And then Sol System humans refused to touch demons. They saw them as bearers of disease and ill-luck, the very source of all terrible things in the universe. To touch one was to invite disaster upon yourself.

Kagome had not only touched his arm in comfort, she'd _danced_ with him, at two different, extremely important occasions in front of the most important royals in the Sol System. She had not been embarrassed. Actually, she'd seemed...happy to dance with him, and jealous when Kikyo was with him. Why? She was not supposed to feel these things. She was supposed to _hate_ him.

And in return, Sesshomaru was supposed to hate her with every fiber of his being.

But she didn't, and he didn't.

It defied everything Sesshomaru had ever known, and it annoyed him. He hated not being in perfect control and understanding of his surroundings. It was what he had prided himself on. His control allowed him to be invincible and invisible, and none dared approach a fearsome demon prince such as him. This suited him. None had to see the truth- of his fear, of his pain. These were human emotions, and he did not like to admit he had them. Therefore, he preferred his control. It allowed him to be impassive and aloof, a demon unaffected by petty human things. That was why he stayed away from Kagome. He could be in control away from her.

_Petty human_ , Sesshomaru told himself, _she must be pretending. She must have something to gain._ He tried very hard to convince himself the words were true.

So every day, Sesshomaru watched Kagome, waiting for her to slip up, waiting for her to reveal herself as a demon-hater. She would mock Sesshomaru with Rei- Rei, a true child of the Silver Millennium, did not trust demons. She would say how she had beguiled him and twisted his emotions and confused the demon lord. Then they would laugh, and Sesshomaru's view of life would return to normal. There would be good demons and evil humans and no infuriatingly pretty- petty, he meant petty -human girl.

* * *

Sesshomaru was watching Kagome in the fields the next morning. She was currently in a "race" with Kikyo and Rei to see who could pick up and identify healing herbs the fastest. Kagome, ever the healer, was winning thus far. Giggling, she was running around the fields in triumph, snatching up flowers here and there while an irritated Rei yelled about how unfair it was and an amused Kikyo laughed.

Sesshomaru was currently musing about how nice a blue flower would look in Kagome's hair- and how he should not be thinking that way, indeed he wasn't thinking that way -when a familiar, annoying scent filled his nostrils. A growl sprang to his throat.

"What do you want, hanyou?" He did not give Inuyasha the satisfaction of turning around for a face-to-face conversation. The half-demon brat did not deserve it.

Inuyasha cooly replied, arms crossed, "Only to know what the hell you're playing at."

Sesshomaru's eyes widened, but his face quickly returned to his usual, plain expression. He did not reply to Inuyasha, but the hanyou pressed on anyway:

"Why, exactly, are you hiding in the woods and practically stalking a human all day? You hate humans!" Inuyasha paused, his voice softening bitterly, "or don't you remember all those lessons you taught me about why I was worthless for being a half-human?"

Sesshomaru winced. As much as he despised Inuyasha, he did regret his constant mocking of the little boy. Sesshomaru had been a fifteen year old, his memories of his father and the Moon Kingdom and all its dreadful humans still fresh. He had taken out his anger on the five year old Inuyasha, who had tailed his older brother for weeks. Inuyasha, despite the deaths of his parents, adored Sesshomaru for a while. He had sought to emulate his sword-wielding older brother, and bragged to the others in the Andromedan court about him. Sesshomaru couldn't bear to admit his relation to a half-human at that point. To Sesshomaru, Inuyasha had represented everything that destroyed what he loved- his kingdom, his family...

To have such a representation following him around only kept the wounds in his heart opened, and he'd done everything he could to get rid of the little boy. The only thing that finally worked was repeatedly condemning Inuyasha for being a half-human.

They'd hated each other ever since.

"I was foolish," Sesshomaru said quietly, "and young, and hotheaded. I have apologized to you for that before." He still did not face Inuyasha, but this time, it was because he did not want Inuyasha to know he was ashamed. He had apologized to Inuyasha- but only once, and he had sworn to never do so again. It was humiliating, humbling himself before someone who was half-Lunarian, but Sesshomaru was ever a demon of honor, and no demon hurt a child, no matter the child's origins.

Inuyasha ignored him, repeating, "You hate humans. There's no reason for you to be following Kagome around, unless..." he trailed off, gauging how Sesshomaru would react, "you care for her." Those were the safest words, he decided. Sesshomaru might kill him if he suggested anything else.

At last, Sesshomaru turned towards Inuyasha, "I care for no human, let alone a human of the Sol System," he said firmly, "and you, halfling, forget your place by even suggesting such an abomination."

Sesshomaru began to walk away. He had made it four steps before declaring, his voice low and threatening, "Do not speak of this again."

_Pretty- petty,_ he meant _petty,_ _-human girl..._


End file.
